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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 · lean · staff · bass · bulb · bay · coach · wake

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rule — government
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. staff — a stick
  5. lean — thin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rule — a law
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. staff — employees
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. staff — employees
  18. bass — low music
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rule — to rule out

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