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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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rule — government
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. vault — a safe
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bass — low music
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chair — a leader
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bass — the instrument

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