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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. press — newspapers
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. board — to get on
  9. mate — to breed
  10. clip — a video
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. press — to push
  14. board — a committee
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. clip — to cut
  20. press — a publisher
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. plane — a tool
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. clip — for paper

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