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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. present — the time now
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. game — a match
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rule — a law
  13. stock — shares
  14. present — a gift
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rule — government
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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