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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. court — for sport
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — of law
  19. saw — the tool
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. court — of a king
  23. rule — a law
  24. foot — a measure

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