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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: plane · sharp · mug · spell · rush · net · kick · rule

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mug — a face
  3. plane — a tool
  4. net — for catching
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rule — a law
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. net — after costs
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mug — to rob
  18. rule — government
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rush — hurry
  21. spell — letters
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. plane — in geometry

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