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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mark · toast · sharp · ruler · lean · rule · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. toast — bread
  6. lean — to bend
  7. spring — the season
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spring — a coil
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rule — a law
  12. sharp — clever
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lean — thin
  19. rule — government
  20. mark — a trace
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mark — a grade

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