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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. charge — in control
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. charge — a price
  6. fall — the season
  7. rule — a law
  8. sharp — clever
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. charge — electricity
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bark — to shout
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. degree — from a university
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rule — government
  24. degree — an amount

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