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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. hand — in cards
  9. row — a line
  10. snap — to click
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bulb — for light
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. vault — a safe
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hand — help
  17. rule — a law
  18. squash — the sport
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. row — a quarrel
  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