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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. march — the month
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. march — the month
  6. race — a contest
  7. tear — from crying
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rule — government
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. root — the cause
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rule — a law
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. race — the arms race
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. march — music
  20. root — of a word
  21. race — humankind
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. tear — to rip

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