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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. plane — a tool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ground — a position
  6. wake — a trail
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. rule — a law
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. snap — to click
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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