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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: fan · firm · rush · bulb · chest · rule · stem · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. firm — steady
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rule — government
  7. current — of water
  8. rush — hurry
  9. chest — a box
  10. firm — decided
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. current — electric
  18. firm — a company
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rule — a law
  24. chest — of your body

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