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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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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: rule · suit · bulb · staff · bay · nail · race · clip

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. suit — clothes
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. clip — for paper
  5. rule — government
  6. suit — to fit
  7. staff — employees
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rule — a law
  11. race — a contest
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. clip — to cut
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. suit — in cards
  20. clip — a video
  21. bulb — for light
  22. staff — employees
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. race — humankind

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