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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 116 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. dip — to sink
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rush — hurry
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fall — the season
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. fall — to drop
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fall — to drop
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rule — to rule out

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