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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 116 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: rush · fan · leaves · rule · mouse · land · bulb · fork

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rule — a law
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. land — to come down
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. land — a country
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. land — ground
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. fork — in a road
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rule — government
  24. fan — to cool the air

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