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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 120 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rule — government
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rule — a law
  14. bat — the animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wake — before a funeral

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