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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. season — in sport
  3. kid — child
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. season — of the year
  9. content — happy
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. kid — to tease
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. content — the amount
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bulb — for light
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. lean — thin
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cabinet — ministers

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