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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. game — a match
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rule — a law
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. game — wild animals
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. lean — thin
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rash — a series
  22. root — of a plant
  23. dip — to sink
  24. plane — an aircraft

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