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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. season — of the year
  5. prune — to trim
  6. capital — money
  7. rule — a law
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. prune — to trim
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. season — in sport
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. capital — a city
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. plane — a tool
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rule — government

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