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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 · mate · bear · leaves · rule · patient · face · plane

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. face — to confront
  3. rule — a law
  4. face — to point toward
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. face — part of the head
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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