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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. firm — a company
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pop — music
  5. firm — decided
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. firm — steady
  12. land — ground
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. land — to come down
  16. bear — the animal
  17. land — a country
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pop — soda
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pop — to visit
  24. ruler — a monarch

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