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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rule — government
  3. bore — to tire
  4. spring — the season
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. spring — a coil
  14. prune — to trim
  15. snap — to click
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. spring — of water
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. rule — a law

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