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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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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 · root · dip · hand · rule · bowl · stand · kick

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. kick — in football
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rule — a law
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rule — government
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. hand — in cards
  14. dip — to sink
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. hand — help
  17. root — of a word
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. root — the cause
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. plane — a tool
  22. root — of a plant
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stand — to bear

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