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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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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: rule · plane · pound · fall · craft · trunk · mate · stand

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fall — to drop
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mate — a friend
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fall — the season
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stand — to bear
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fall — to drop
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rule — a law
  24. plane — a tool

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