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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: fine · arm · cell · stick · season · firm · rule · bulb

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. firm — decided
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rule — a law
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. firm — steady
  12. cell — in biology
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. firm — a company
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. season — of the year
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rule — government
  20. cell — a phone
  21. fine — all right
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — in sport
  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