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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ball — a great time
  3. march — the month
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cell — in biology
  11. file — a line of people
  12. march — the month
  13. plane — a tool
  14. cell — a phone
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. ball — a dance
  19. file — a tool
  20. march — music
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. file — a document
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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