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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: wake · mouse · bulb · rest · ruler · row · spell · land

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wake — a trail
  3. spell — magic
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rest — a break
  8. spell — letters
  9. bulb — for light
  10. land — ground
  11. row — a line
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bulb — for light
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spell — a short time

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