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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 116 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. press — newspapers
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. season — of the year
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wind — moving air
  8. plane — a tool
  9. tube — a container
  10. press — to push
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. season — in sport
  22. face — to confront
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. plane — in geometry

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