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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fork — in a road
  3. lie — to recline
  4. march — the month
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. march — music
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. cap — a hat
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cap — of ice
  12. ball — a dance
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. march — the month
  16. rule — a law
  17. cap — a lid
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rule — government
  24. deal — to handle

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