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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. content — the amount
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rest — what's left
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rule — government
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bulb — for light

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