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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 120 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  2. plane — a tool
  3. snap — to click
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rule — a law
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. spell — magic
  15. sharp — clever
  16. land — ground
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. spell — letters
  19. board — to get on
  20. rule — government
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. spell — a short time
  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