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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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Word bank
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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: lie · bulb · rule · spring · drill · pop · squash · snap

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. drill — army training
  4. rule — government
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. spring — of water
  9. snap — to click
  10. rule — a law
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bulb — for light
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spring — a coil
  19. drill — a practice
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. squash — the sport
  22. spring — the season
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rule — to rule out

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