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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 120 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 · trunk · land · fan · cabinet · cue · bulb · tube

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. land — a country
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tube — a container
  19. land — to come down
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. land — ground
  24. tube — the underground

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