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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. land — a country
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rule — government
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bank — of a river
  11. face — to confront
  12. last — finally
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. last — final
  15. face — to point toward
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. land — to come down
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. land — ground
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. last — to go on
  24. pass — a permit

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