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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. craft — boats
  5. rule — a law
  6. tube — the underground
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. court — for sport
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wake — a trail
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — of law
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. craft — a skill

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