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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rule — government
  4. bulb — for light
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. game — a match
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rule — a law
  16. fall — to drop
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bulb — for light
  19. suit — in cards
  20. kid — to tease
  21. game — wild animals
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wound — an injury

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