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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. board — a committee
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fine — all right
  6. clip — to cut
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. clip — a video
  15. board — to get on
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fine — high quality
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. craft — boats
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. clip — for paper
  24. press — to push

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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