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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rule — government
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rash — a series
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mug — a cup
  17. hand — help
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. spring — of water
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  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