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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 120 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: leaves · chair · bulb · stand · lie · rule · ruler · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rule — government
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rule — a law
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lie — an untruth
  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