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

Word bank: spell · root · swing · bulb · rule · content · rest · pass

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. spell — magic
  3. swing — music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. rest — a break
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rule — a law
  10. root — of a word
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. spell — letters
  14. swing — in golf
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rest — what's left
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rule — government

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