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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: lie · current · rule · fine · plane · degree · lash · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. fine — high quality
  6. current — happening now
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rule — a law
  9. lie — to recline
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. current — of water
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rule — government
  18. degree — temperature
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. current — electric
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fine — all right

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