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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pop — soda
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pop — music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wind — moving air
  15. row — a line
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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