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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 120 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bank — for money
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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