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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rash — hasty
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rule — government
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. scale — size or range
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rule — a law
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rash — a series
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. scale — in music
  24. plane — a tool

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