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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. spring — of water
  2. rule — a law
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — the season
  12. current — electric
  13. swing — to play on
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. swing — music
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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