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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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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: ground · present · band · rush · rule · wave · suit · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. lean — thin
  6. rule — government
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. present — a gift
  12. rule — a law
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rush — hurry
  16. suit — in cards
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. ground — a position
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. suit — clothes
  23. ground — crushed
  24. band — a ring

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