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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. clip — a video
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rash — hasty
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. clip — to cut
  10. rule — a law
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rash — a series
  14. rule — government
  15. clip — for paper
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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