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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bass — low music
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. can — a tin
  16. press — to push
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. scale — in music
  24. press — newspapers

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