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

Word bank: rule · snap · cold · stem · charge · bulb · pit · spell

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rule — a law
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. spell — a short time
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. snap — to click
  19. cold — an illness
  20. spell — letters
  21. pit — a hole
  22. spell — magic
  23. rule — government
  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