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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. spring — a coil
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rule — government
  5. spring — of water
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wind — moving air
  8. net — in sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wind — moving air
  14. spring — the season
  15. deal — to handle
  16. object — a thing
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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