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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. firm — a company
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. lean — to bend
  8. firm — decided
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. press — a publisher
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. lean — thin
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. firm — steady
  21. press — to push
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bowl — a football final

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