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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. current — happening now
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. fall — the season
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rule — a law
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. game — a match
  13. fall — to drop
  14. current — electric
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. plane — a tool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. current — of water
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rule — government
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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