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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 120 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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rest — what's left
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chip — to eat
  16. saw — the tool
  17. press — to push
  18. shower — rain
  19. chip — for betting
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rest — a break
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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