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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stock — shares
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rule — a law
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rock — music
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. spell — letters
  15. plane — a tool
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fall — to drop
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. spell — magic
  21. fall — the season
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stock — goods
  24. fall — to drop

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