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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 120 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. squash — the sport
  5. spell — magic
  6. squash — to crush
  7. lean — thin
  8. spell — letters
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. club — a group
  11. rule — a law
  12. club — for dancing
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. lean — to bend
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spell — a short time
  24. club — for golf

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