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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: rule · charge · temple · tear · hand · rash · wind · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rash — hasty
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wind — moving air
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. hand — help
  11. rule — a law
  12. charge — a price
  13. rash — a series
  14. hand — in cards
  15. charge — electricity
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. charge — in control
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. rule — government
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rule — to rule out

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