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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 120 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: deal · pop · rule · sharp · wake · plane · fan · rock

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wake — a trail
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pop — music
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rule — government
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pop — soda
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rock — music
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rule — a law
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pop — to visit
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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