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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 124 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. land — to come down
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rule — a law
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rule — government
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. drill — army training
  14. rush — hurry
  15. land — ground
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. drill — the tool
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. land — a country
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. cabinet — ministers

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