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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: wake · straw · rule · plane · lie · ball

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rule — a law
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wake — a trail
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rule — government
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. ball — a round shape

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