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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rule — government
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bulb — for light
  15. face — to confront
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rash — a series
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rule — a law
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bulb — for light
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. hand — help
  24. rule — to rule out

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