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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 · mark · calf · mouse · saw · field · bulb · rush

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rush — hurry
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rule — a law
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. field — a subject
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rule — government

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