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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bulb — for light
  5. present — the time now
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bound — obliged
  8. ground — a position
  9. rule — a law
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rule — government
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. ground — crushed
  15. snap — to click
  16. bound — tied together
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bound — certain
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. present — a gift
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. present — there

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