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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: rash · rest · mate · firm · suit · bulb · land · scale

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — a friend
  5. firm — a company
  6. suit — clothes
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. suit — to fit
  12. firm — steady
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rest — a break
  19. suit — in cards
  20. land — a country
  21. rash — a series
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rest — what's left

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