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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. chest — of your body
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rule — a law
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chest — a box
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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