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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rash — a series
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rule — a law
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rash — hasty
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. board — a committee
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mark — a grade
  19. board — to get on
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rule — government

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