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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. chip — for betting
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rule — government
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. press — newspapers
  18. snap — to click
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rule — a law
  21. press — to push
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. chip — to eat
  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