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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. root — of a word
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. rash — a series
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bass — low music
  19. root — the cause
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cue — for pool

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