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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. face — to confront
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rule — government
  15. stock — shares
  16. face — to point toward
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stem — to come from
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rule — a law
  23. stock — goods
  24. snap — to click

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