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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. charge — electricity
  4. press — to push
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. spring — the season
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. spring — of water
  17. charge — in control
  18. spring — a coil
  19. wound — an injury
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. charge — a price
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wound — an injury

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