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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 120 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 · ruler · tear · fine · pop · chest · ground

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pop — soda
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fine — all right
  7. chest — of your body
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. plane — a tool
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rule — government
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rule — a law
  22. chest — a box
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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