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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: nail · mate · chip · last · plane · rush · squash · rule

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. last — final
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mate — a partner
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rush — hurry
  8. last — finally
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rule — a law
  11. last — to go on
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rule — government
  21. mate — to breed
  22. chip — for betting
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. chip — to eat

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