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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lean — to bend
  3. cold — not warm
  4. tube — a container
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pit — a hole
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lean — thin
  9. rule — government
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. pit — in a race
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rule — a law
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. plane — a tool
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bulb — for light

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