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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: rule · cue · perch · bulb · stick · rush · file · clip

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. file — a tool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. clip — a video
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rule — a law
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rule — government
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. file — a line of people
  20. perch — the fish
  21. clip — to cut
  22. file — a document
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bulb — of a plant

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