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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rule — government
  5. bulb — for light
  6. suit — clothes
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. last — final
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cold — not warm
  12. suit — to fit
  13. row — a line
  14. last — to go on
  15. row — to paddle
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. last — finally
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bulb — of a plant

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