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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bulb — for light
  4. march — the month
  5. bulb — for light
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rule — a law
  8. march — music
  9. rule — government
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. march — the month
  12. scale — size or range
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. band — a ring
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. snap — to click
  18. scale — in music
  19. band — a music group
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bowl — a football final

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