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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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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: cell · bay · plane · bark · race · rule

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. race — humankind
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rule — government
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rule — a law
  8. cell — in biology
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. race — a contest

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