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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bass — low music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rule — government
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rash — a series
  9. row — to paddle
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ball — a dance
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ball — a great time
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rash — hasty
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rule — a law
  22. row — a line
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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