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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
468
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: wake · plane · rush · bay · rule · bear · cold · rash

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rule — government
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. rash — a series
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cold — an illness
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rule — a law

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