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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.

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: ruler · face · content · march · staff · sharp · bulb · rule

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rule — government
  3. content — happy
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. content — the amount
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. face — to confront
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. face — part of the head
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. staff — employees
  19. march — the month
  20. rule — a law
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rule — to rule out

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