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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. land — ground
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bulb — for light
  6. land — to come down
  7. rule — government
  8. bore — to tire
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rash — hasty
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. band — a music group
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. band — a ring
  19. rash — a series
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wound — an injury
  22. land — a country
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. plane — a tool

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