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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rule — a law
  3. fall — to drop
  4. squash — the sport
  5. last — finally
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fall — the season
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rule — government
  12. mate — to breed
  13. last — final
  14. squash — to crush
  15. last — to go on
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. plane — a tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mate — a partner
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rule — to rule out

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