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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: nail · plane · rule · calf · squash · bass · rash · net

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rule — a law
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. net — in sport
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. plane — a tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. net — for catching
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. net — after costs
  21. squash — the sport
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bass — low music

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