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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. ball — a dance
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rule — a law
  10. mark — a trace
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. chair — a leader
  19. ball — a great time
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rash — hasty
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. plane — an aircraft

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