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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: bass · rule · bulb · rock · lie · march · drill · leaves

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rock — a stone
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rock — music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. march — music
  9. rule — a law
  10. bulb — for light
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bulb — for light
  15. drill — army training
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bass — low music
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bulb — of a plant

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