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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rule — government
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. firm — decided
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. plane — a tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bat — the animal
  20. firm — steady
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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