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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rock — music
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rule — a law
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. content — happy
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rule — government
  24. ground — a position

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