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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. snap — to click
  10. rule — government
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rule — a law
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rash — a series
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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