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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. season — in sport
  10. rule — government
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rule — a law
  16. season — of the year
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bowl — a football final

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