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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: spring · clip · rule · hand · ruler · lie · plane · charge

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. charge — electricity
  3. lie — to recline
  4. plane — a tool
  5. charge — a price
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. clip — a video
  9. spring — a coil
  10. clip — for paper
  11. spring — the season
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. spring — of water
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. clip — to cut
  20. charge — in control
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rule — government
  24. ruler — for measuring

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