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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rule — a law
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rule — government
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. plane — a tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — soda
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pop — music
  24. stem — to come from

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