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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rule — a law
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mark — a grade
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lean — thin
  8. mate — a friend
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. capital — money
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rule — government
  14. mark — a trace
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fall — to drop
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fall — the season
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mate — a partner
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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