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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. plane — a tool
  3. game — a match
  4. kick — in football
  5. bass — low music
  6. season — in sport
  7. rule — a law
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. branch — a division
  13. drill — a practice
  14. season — of the year
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rule — government
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. branch — of a bank

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