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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 116 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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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: rule · fall · mouse · club · safe · plane · snap · capital

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fall — the season
  3. rule — a law
  4. snap — to click
  5. club — a group
  6. plane — a tool
  7. capital — money
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. fall — to drop
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fall — to drop
  13. club — for dancing
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rule — government
  16. club — for golf
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — a city
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. plane — in geometry

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