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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fall — the season
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. press — to push
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. drill — a practice
  22. press — a publisher
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bulb — of a plant

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