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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rash — a series
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rule — government
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bound — tied together
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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