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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 124 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. land — a country
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. perch — the fish
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rule — government
  11. snap — to click
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rule — a law
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. land — to come down
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. land — ground
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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