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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. plane — a tool
  6. court — of law
  7. last — to go on
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rule — government
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rule — a law
  23. wound — an injury
  24. ruler — for measuring

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