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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rule — government
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rule — a law
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. branch — a division
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. scale — size or range
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. scale — in music
  24. bowl — a dish

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