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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. roll — a list
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rule — a law
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rule — government
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bulb — for light
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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