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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rule — a law
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. snap — to click
  7. toast — bread
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mug — a face
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. mug — a cup
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rule — government
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. mug — to rob
  24. temple — a place of worship

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