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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rule — government
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fall — the season
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rock — music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. saw — the tool
  10. roll — a list
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fall — to drop
  13. roll — a cake
  14. squash — the sport
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rule — a law
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rock — a stone
  21. squash — to crush
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bulb — for light

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