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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 · sharp · rest · fan · spring · bulb · cabinet · rule

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. spring — of water
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rule — government
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. spring — the season
  17. rest — a break
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rule — a law
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. spring — a coil

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