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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mate — a friend
  3. spell — letters
  4. mate — to breed
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rest — a break
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rule — a law
  12. mate — a partner
  13. hand — in cards
  14. spell — magic
  15. hand — help
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bulb — for light
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com