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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. tube — a container
  3. spring — a coil
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rule — government
  10. bulb — for light
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. spring — of water
  17. mark — a trace
  18. spring — the season
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lie — to recline
  21. tube — the underground
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mark — a grade

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