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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. plane — a tool
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. row — to paddle
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. press — a publisher
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. prune — to trim
  13. press — to push
  14. row — a line
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. snap — to click
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. shower — to wash
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. prune — to trim
  21. shower — rain
  22. press — newspapers
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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