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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. march — the month
  10. rule — government
  11. fine — high quality
  12. press — newspapers
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. fine — all right
  16. rule — a law
  17. bulb — for light
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fine — a penalty

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