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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 120 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: court · last · rest · rush · plane · rule

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rule — government
  3. court — of law
  4. rest — a break
  5. last — finally
  6. court — for sport
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. last — final
  11. court — of a king
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rest — what's left
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. last — to go on
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rush — hurry

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