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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 · bound · snap · stem · racket · foot · rule · last

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bound — certain
  5. plane — a tool
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bound — obliged
  9. last — final
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rule — government
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bound — tied together
  24. snap — to click

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