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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. lean — thin
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fall — the season
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fall — to drop
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rule — government
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rule — a law
  24. rush — a thrill

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