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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: mouse · club · cap · rule · dip · net · face · plane

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. net — in sport
  3. rule — government
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cap — a hat
  9. face — to point toward
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. net — after costs
  13. rule — a law
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. club — a group
  17. net — for catching
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cap — a lid
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. face — to confront
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. face — part of the head

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