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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: snap · rule · squash · stem · bulb · bound · hide · rush

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. snap — to click
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bound — obliged
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rule — government
  11. bound — certain
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stem — to come from
  18. squash — to crush
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rule — a law
  23. rush — hurry
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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