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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. land — a country
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. land — ground
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rule — a law
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. spell — magic
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. spell — letters
  23. rule — government
  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