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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rule — government
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. snap — to click
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. saw — the tool
  20. row — a line
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rule — a law
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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