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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rule — government
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rule — a law
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bass — low music
  18. snap — to click
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bulb — for light

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