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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. drill — army training
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. current — of water
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. plane — a tool
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. drill — the tool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. current — electric
  15. press — to push
  16. scale — size or range
  17. march — the month
  18. fork — in a road
  19. scale — in music
  20. current — happening now
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. march — music
  23. drill — a practice
  24. plane — an aircraft

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