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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: mate · rule · lie · plane · chip · fork · capital · kick

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. fork — in a road
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. kick — in football
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rule — a law
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. lie — to recline
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. capital — money
  22. plane — a tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chip — to eat

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