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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rule — a law
  4. swing — in golf
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bound — certain
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. snap — to click
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pop — soda
  12. plane — a tool
  13. swing — music
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pop — music
  17. bound — tied together
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rule — government
  20. land — a country
  21. bound — obliged
  22. land — to come down
  23. chair — a leader
  24. land — ground

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