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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. spring — of water
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. spring — a coil
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. last — final
  14. press — to push
  15. last — finally
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. last — to go on
  18. mark — a trace
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mark — a grade
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mug — to rob
  24. spring — the season

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