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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: pop · rock · rule · cell · bear · plane · stick · bore

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. bore — to drill
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rule — a law
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bore — to tire
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rock — 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