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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 124 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. deal — to handle
  10. present — a gift
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rule — a law
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. wind — moving air

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