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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rule — a law
  4. ground — a position
  5. rule — government
  6. game — wild animals
  7. object — a thing
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ground — the earth
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. object — an aim
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. press — newspapers
  18. object — to protest
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. ground — crushed
  22. game — a match
  23. can — a tin
  24. patient — a sick person

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