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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 116 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 very handy with a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rule — government
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. game — a match
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bulb — for light
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pass — a permit
  18. can — a tin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. can — a tin
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rule — a law
  24. mine — for digging

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