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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rule — government
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. net — for catching
  9. pass — a permit
  10. cell — in biology
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. net — in sport
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rule — a law
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. net — after costs
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pass — to succeed

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