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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: bulb · rule · field · suit · mark · wave · cold · plane

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. field — farmland
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cold — an illness
  8. rule — government
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. suit — clothes
  15. field — for sport
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. suit — to fit
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. field — a subject

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