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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. date — the fruit
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. face — to confront
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. face — to point toward
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pop — to visit
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rule — government
  14. toast — bread
  15. pop — music
  16. chip — to eat
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pop — soda
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rule — a law
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rule — to rule out

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