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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rash — a series
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spell — a short time
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. spell — magic
  9. ground — the earth
  10. spell — letters
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cell — in biology
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. key — in music
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — government
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cell — a phone
  23. ground — a position
  24. mouse — for a computer

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