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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. club — for golf
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rest — a break
  6. rule — government
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rule — a law
  18. bound — certain
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bound — tied together
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. rest — what's left

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