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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: suit · plane · last · wave · dip · rule · kid · court

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. kid — child
  3. rule — government
  4. court — for sport
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. dip — to sink
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. plane — a tool
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. court — of a king
  22. last — final
  23. kid — to tease
  24. court — of law

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