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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. lie — to recline
  8. roll — a cake
  9. court — for sport
  10. board — a committee
  11. land — a country
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. court — of a king
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. rule — government
  17. rush — hurry
  18. roll — a list
  19. board — to get on
  20. rule — a law
  21. court — of law
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. board — a flat piece
  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