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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · rule · snap · bear · chair · plane

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bear — the animal
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bank — of a river
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bank — for money
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rule — a law
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. rule — government

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