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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. land — ground
  6. plane — a tool
  7. staff — employees
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. rule — a law
  11. last — final
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. capital — a city
  18. land — a country
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. swing — music
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. swing — to play on
  24. land — to come down

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