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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: land · nail · pass · mine · bulb · wind · suit · rule

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. suit — clothes
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wind — moving air
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mine — for digging
  12. land — ground
  13. rule — government
  14. land — a country
  15. rule — a law
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bulb — for light
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. land — to come down
  23. rule — to rule out
  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