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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. last — to go on
  11. tear — from crying
  12. press — newspapers
  13. last — final
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rule — government
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rule — a law
  20. tear — to rip
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. plane — a tool
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. trunk — of a tree

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