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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · fall · spring · spell · staff · bulb · cell · rock

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. fall — to drop
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. staff — employees
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. spell — magic
  10. cell — a phone
  11. fall — the season
  12. cell — in biology
  13. rule — government
  14. rock — a stone
  15. staff — employees
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spell — letters
  20. staff — a stick
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rock — music
  24. fall — to drop

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