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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: sharp · fan · present · hand · plane · rule · land · object

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. land — a country
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. hand — help
  5. object — an aim
  6. plane — a tool
  7. sharp — clever
  8. present — the time now
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. hand — in cards
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. present — a gift
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. land — to come down
  18. rule — a law
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. land — ground
  21. present — there
  22. object — a thing
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. object — to protest

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