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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. spring — a coil
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rule — a law
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. object — to protest
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. spring — the season
  16. rule — government
  17. spring — of water
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cap — a hat

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