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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. press — to push
  3. capital — a city
  4. file — a tool
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. press — newspapers
  12. sharp — clever
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. press — a publisher
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mug — a face
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. file — a document
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. capital — money
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. file — a line of people

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