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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: hide · race · plane · swing · rule · can · lean · bear

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. race — a contest
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. can — to be able to
  13. race — humankind
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rule — government
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. race — the arms race
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. lean — thin

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