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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. kid — to tease
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. kid — child
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. plane — a tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mark — a grade
  21. press — to push
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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