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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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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: wave · cabinet · plane · stick · lie · rule · race · hand

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. race — a contest
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. hand — help
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rule — a law
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lie — to recline
  15. race — humankind
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rule — government
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. race — the arms race
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cabinet — ministers

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