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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
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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 · pop · cell · mate · straw · ball · rule · fan

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pop — to visit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pop — music
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pop — soda
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mate — to breed
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cell — a phone
  24. plane — a tool

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