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

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. press — to push
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tear — from crying
  6. cue — for pool
  7. net — in sport
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. press — a publisher
  10. tear — from crying
  11. net — after costs
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. tear — to rip
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. net — for catching
  18. press — newspapers

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