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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 120 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. suit — in cards
  3. tube — a container
  4. rule — government
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. track — a path
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rule — a law
  11. squash — to crush
  12. track — a song
  13. fall — the season
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. tube — the underground
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. suit — to fit
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. track — to keep track

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