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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pop — to visit
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bank — for money
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. plane — a tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rule — a law
  14. pop — soda
  15. bank — of a river
  16. net — for catching
  17. lie — to recline
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bank — for money
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pop — music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. racket — a loud noise

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