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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rule — government
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. firm — a company
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. hand — help
  14. ball — a dance
  15. plane — a tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. craft — boats
  19. bulb — for light
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rule — a law

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