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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: rule · fall · ground · plane · mug · rock · mate · game

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mug — a cup
  3. ground — crushed
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mug — a face
  8. fall — the season
  9. rock — music
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fall — to drop
  12. game — wild animals
  13. plane — a tool
  14. ground — a position
  15. mate — to breed
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rule — government
  23. game — a match
  24. plane — an aircraft

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