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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. hand — help
  3. pitch — completely
  4. plane — a tool
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. court — of law
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. shower — rain
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. hand — in cards
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rule — government
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. court — for sport
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rule — a law
  21. court — of a king
  22. shower — to wash
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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