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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. deal — to handle
  5. row — a line
  6. dip — to sink
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. current — happening now
  11. plane — a tool
  12. current — electric
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. current — of water
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. row — to paddle
  24. plane — in geometry

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