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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. ground — crushed
  4. net — after costs
  5. plane — a tool
  6. net — in sport
  7. press — newspapers
  8. drill — a practice
  9. press — to push
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ground — a position
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. net — for catching
  14. drill — the tool
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ground — the earth

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