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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rule — a law
  4. pop — soda
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pop — to visit
  10. current — happening now
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pop — music
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. saw — the tool
  22. spell — a short time
  23. current — electric
  24. clip — a video

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