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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. content — happy
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ground — a position
  5. drill — army training
  6. press — to push
  7. drill — a practice
  8. content — the amount
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. ground — crushed
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. press — newspapers
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. press — a publisher
  15. ground — the earth
  16. plane — a tool
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. content — videos and posts

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