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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pop — to visit
  4. hand — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rule — a law
  8. pop — soda
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pass — a permit
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pop — music
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. suit — clothes
  15. hand — help
  16. plane — a tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. chair — a leader
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. saw — the tool

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