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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 116 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: mouse · rule · suit · sharp · bulb · band · cell · hand

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cell — in biology
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. suit — in cards
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. band — a music group
  8. cell — a phone
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. hand — help
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. sharp — exactly

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