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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
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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: race · nail · bulb · rule · fall · charge · hand · date

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bulb — for light
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fall — the season
  13. race — humankind
  14. rule — a law
  15. hand — in cards
  16. charge — in control
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hand — help
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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