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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mug — a face
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wind — moving air
  10. squash — the sport
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. date — the fruit
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mug — to rob
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. mug — a cup
  24. plane — a tool

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