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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. clip — for paper
  5. rule — a law
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bulb — for light
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spell — magic
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. spell — letters
  18. snap — to click
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rule — government
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — to cut
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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