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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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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: fine · wind · ruler · rush · face · mate · bulb · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fine — high quality
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mate — a friend
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fine — all right
  14. staff — employees
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. staff — a stick
  17. face — to confront
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wind — moving air
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rush — to hurry

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