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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
468
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: nail · present · lash · lean · last · court · bulb · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bulb — for light
  4. present — the time now
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. last — to go on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rule — a law
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bulb — for light
  11. present — a gift
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. court — for sport
  14. lean — to bend
  15. last — finally
  16. lean — thin
  17. last — final
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. present — there
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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