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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cap — a hat
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spring — of water
  11. rule — a law
  12. bulb — for light
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cap — a lid
  15. deal — to handle
  16. vault — a safe
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rule — government
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. spring — the season
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bulb — for light

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