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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. cue — a hint
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rule — government
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bore — to drill
  19. can — a tin
  20. rule — a law
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pound — a weight

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