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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. row — to paddle
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. mine — for digging
  11. fall — the season
  12. pop — to visit
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. squash — the sport
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pop — music
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rule — government
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pop — soda
  22. row — a line
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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