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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. land — a country
  4. prune — to trim
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. game — wild animals
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. land — to come down
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rule — government
  11. fall — to drop
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fall — the season
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. game — a match
  16. foot — a measure
  17. plane — a tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. land — ground
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. foot — part of the body

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