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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rule — a law
  5. bulb — for light
  6. track — a path
  7. face — to point toward
  8. spring — the season
  9. can — a tin
  10. spring — of water
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wound — an injury
  13. deal — to handle
  14. can — to be able to
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. can — a tin
  17. rule — government
  18. face — to confront
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. face — part of the head
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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