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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rule — a law
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bound — obliged
  5. file — a document
  6. plane — a tool
  7. file — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rule — government
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. kick — in football

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