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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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468
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: bulb · cold · rush · firm · fork · rule · lean · net

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. net — for catching
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. net — in sport
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. rule — government
  12. fork — in a road
  13. firm — steady
  14. net — after costs
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cold — an illness
  17. firm — decided
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. cold — not warm
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rule — a law
  23. firm — a company
  24. rush — a thrill

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