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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bore — to tire
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. lean — to bend
  5. land — to come down
  6. scale — in music
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lean — thin
  9. land — ground
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. rule — a law
  14. land — a country
  15. fork — in a road
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rule — government
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. scale — size or range

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