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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rule — a law
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spring — the season
  5. net — for catching
  6. rule — government
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. root — the cause
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. root — of a word
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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