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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. file — a tool
  4. rule — government
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rule — a law
  7. rock — a stone
  8. file — a document
  9. spell — a short time
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. spell — letters
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. roll — a cake
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. spell — magic
  22. rock — music
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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