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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rule — a law
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. shower — rain
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rock — music
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rock — a stone
  15. drill — army training
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mine — for digging
  20. drill — the tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. shower — to wash
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rule — government

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