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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. rule — a law
  3. bass — low music
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rule — government
  8. net — in sport
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pound — a weight
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. net — for catching
  15. bass — the fish
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. sharp — clever
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. row — a line
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. net — after costs
  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