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

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. 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. plane — an aircraft
  2. press — to push
  3. shower — to wash
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. toast — bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. press — a publisher
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. shower — rain
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. press — newspapers
  18. 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