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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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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: can · scale · wound · rash · rule · clip · board · plane

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. can — a tin
  3. rule — government
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rash — hasty
  7. can — a tin
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rule — a law
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. clip — for paper
  12. can — to be able to
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wound — an injury
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. board — to get on
  18. wound — an injury
  19. clip — to cut
  20. plane — a tool
  21. clip — a video
  22. scale — in music
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rash — a series

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