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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spring — the season
  3. ground — crushed
  4. lean — to bend
  5. ground — the earth
  6. spring — of water
  7. bulb — for light
  8. current — electric
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ground — a position
  13. spring — a coil
  14. current — of water
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. current — happening now
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rule — a law
  24. kick — in football

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