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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rule — government
  6. land — ground
  7. suit — clothes
  8. row — a line
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. suit — in cards
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pit — in a race
  14. shower — rain
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rule — a law
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stem — to come from
  20. land — a country
  21. pit — a hole
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. shower — to wash
  24. land — to come down

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