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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: cue · lean · bay · rush · bulb · capital · rule · degree

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. degree — temperature
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rule — a law
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rule — government
  14. cue — for pool
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a city
  23. cue — a signal
  24. lean — to bend

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