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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. march — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a line of people
  14. firm — steady
  15. rock — a stone
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rule — government
  18. rock — music
  19. firm — decided
  20. march — the month
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. file — a tool
  24. march — the month

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