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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: cell · row · plane · rush · march · rule · suit · swing

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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. rush — to hurry
  4. suit — in cards
  5. swing — in golf
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. row — to paddle
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. row — a line
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cell — a phone
  14. suit — to fit
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rush — hurry
  18. march — music
  19. swing — music
  20. march — the month
  21. rule — government
  22. cell — in biology
  23. suit — clothes
  24. row — a quarrel

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