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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 120 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: hand · mine · ruler · chair · snap · key · rule · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chair — a leader
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. hand — help
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. snap — to click
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. key — in music
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rule — government
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mine — for digging
  22. key — the most important part
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bulb — for light

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