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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: plane · rule · cabinet · suit · swing · spring · land · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rule — a law
  4. land — to come down
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. swing — music
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mark — a grade
  10. spring — of water
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rule — government
  14. spring — a coil
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. plane — a tool
  17. spring — the season
  18. land — a country
  19. suit — in cards
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. suit — to fit
  23. land — ground
  24. mark — a trace

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