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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. land — to come down
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. land — ground
  6. cap — of ice
  7. fall — to drop
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mate — a partner
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cue — a signal
  14. land — a country
  15. cue — a hint
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. fall — the season
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mate — a friend
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cap — a lid

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