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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 116 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. chair — a leader
  5. plane — a tool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. shower — rain
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rule — a law
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. degree — temperature
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. shower — to wash
  19. degree — from a university
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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