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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: mouse · trunk · date · plane · straw · rule · bay · charge

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rule — a law
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. charge — a price
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. charge — in control

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