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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. court — of law
  5. ground — the earth
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ground — a position
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. court — of a king
  13. tear — from crying
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. toast — bread
  17. tear — to rip
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bass — low music
  21. court — for sport
  22. tear — from crying
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ground — crushed

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