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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. track — a path
  4. last — finally
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rule — a law
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. track — to keep track
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mine — for digging
  15. deal — to handle
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. track — a song
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rule — government
  21. last — final
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. last — to go on
  24. safe — a strongbox

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