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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. chip — for betting
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chip — to eat
  20. saw — the tool
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fall — the season
  24. plane — a tool

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