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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. rule — a law
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. face — to point toward
  10. game — a match
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. face — to confront
  16. rule — government
  17. fall — the season
  18. mate — a partner
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fall — to drop
  22. face — part of the head
  23. fall — to drop
  24. plane — in geometry

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