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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 120 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. root — of a word
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rule — a law
  6. bat — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rule — government
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lean — thin
  11. prune — to trim
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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