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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. field — a subject
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rule — government
  11. object — a thing
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. field — for sport
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. field — farmland
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bank — for money

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