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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · lash · pass · bulb · leaves · chair · capital · rule

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. chair — a leader
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bulb — for light
  5. capital — a city
  6. rule — a law
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rule — government
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. capital — money
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. cell — a phone

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