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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 · deal · wake · plane · staff · object · coach · bass

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. rule — government
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. object — a thing
  4. bass — low music
  5. object — an aim
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. staff — employees
  11. plane — a tool
  12. object — to protest
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bass — the fish
  17. deal — to handle
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. staff — employees
  23. coach — a trainer
  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