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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pitch — completely
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rash — hasty
  9. press — a publisher
  10. ground — crushed
  11. file — a tool
  12. scale — in music
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. file — a line of people
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rash — a series
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. plane — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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