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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · plane · bore · rush · rash · stick · cell · rule

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rule — government
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — a series
  13. rule — a law
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bore — to tire
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rock — music
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rock — a stone

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