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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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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: bore · wave · rule · dip · fall · bulb · ruler · chest

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bore — to drill
  8. fall — the season
  9. rule — government
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rule — a law
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fall — to drop
  17. chest — a box
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chest — of your body
  21. dip — to sink
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bore — to tire

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