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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: plane · present · rule · staff · nail · fork

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. staff — employees
  3. rule — a law
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rule — government
  7. present — a gift
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. plane — a tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. present — the time now
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. present — there

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