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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rule — government
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mine — for digging
  9. firm — steady
  10. pit — in a race
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bank — of a river
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. firm — decided
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rule — a law
  18. deal — to handle
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. degree — temperature
  21. firm — a company
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. deal — a big deal

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