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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: key · plane · cell · rule · date · tube · squash · deal

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cell — in biology
  4. deal — to handle
  5. squash — the sport
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. tube — a container
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cell — a phone
  15. squash — to crush
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rule — a law
  22. key — in music
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. date — the fruit

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