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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rule — a law
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. capital — money
  9. rule — government
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wake — a trail
  12. capital — a city
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. temple — side of the head

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