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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rule — a law
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spring — of water
  6. track — a song
  7. spring — a coil
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. track — a path
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. plane — a tool
  15. spring — the season
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rule — government
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. ruler — for measuring

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