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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rule — government
  5. wind — moving air
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. face — to confront
  12. suit — to fit
  13. face — to point toward
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wind — moving air
  17. clip — to cut
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — for paper
  24. rule — a law

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