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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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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: foot · bulb · staff · rush · lie · coach · wake · rule

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. staff — employees
  4. rule — government
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wake — a trail
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rule — a law
  24. lie — an untruth

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