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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. net — after costs
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. net — for catching
  7. rule — a law
  8. net — in sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bore — to tire
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rule — government
  18. bore — gave birth

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