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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 120 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 · board · mark · land · dip · chip · plane · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. board — a committee
  3. land — to come down
  4. rule — a law
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mark — a grade
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. chip — to eat
  14. land — ground
  15. chip — for betting
  16. land — a country
  17. mark — a trace
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. board — to get on
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rule — government
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. dip — a sauce

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