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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: net · ruler · fan · key · straw · rush · bulb · last

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. last — finally
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. net — after costs
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. net — for catching
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. key — the most important part
  19. net — in sport
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. key — for a lock
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ruler — for measuring

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