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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. object — an aim
  5. rule — a law
  6. fork — in a road
  7. object — to protest
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mug — a cup
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. object — a thing
  13. ground — a position
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. ground — the earth

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