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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 116 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. staff — employees
  3. band — a ring
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bulb — for light
  7. firm — decided
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. wound — an injury
  13. firm — a company
  14. rule — a law
  15. firm — steady
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. staff — employees
  21. band — a music group
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wound — an injury

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