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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. toast — bread
  3. press — to push
  4. march — music
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. press — a publisher
  8. kid — to tease
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pop — music
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pop — to visit
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pop — soda
  18. plane — a tool
  19. march — the month
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. kid — child
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. march — the month

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