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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: bulb · ruler · land · sharp · rest · perch · rule · current

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rule — a law
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. current — electric
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — government
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. current — happening now
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rest — what's left
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. land — to come down
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bulb — for light
  19. land — a country
  20. rest — a break
  21. land — ground
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. current — of water
  24. bulb — for light

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