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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · rule · mine · date · suit · march · plane · wind

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. march — the month
  2. plane — a tool
  3. tube — the underground
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wind — moving air
  6. suit — clothes
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. suit — to fit
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. march — music
  14. tube — a container
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. march — the month
  19. rule — government
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wind — moving air
  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