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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. can — to be able to
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rule — government
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. bound — certain
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bound — tied together
  17. fall — the season
  18. kick — in football
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rule — a law
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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