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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: plane · rule · game · court · saw · jam · wind · mine

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. game — wild animals
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — a tool
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. rule — a law
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. saw — the tool
  11. court — of a king
  12. rule — government
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wind — moving air
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wind — moving air
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. game — a match

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