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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: nail · bulb · rule · firm · march · mark · fan · cell

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. firm — steady
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. march — the month
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. firm — decided
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rule — government
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bulb — for light
  17. march — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rule — a law
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. firm — a company

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