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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. rash — a series
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. last — finally
  5. dip — to sink
  6. can — a tin
  7. last — to go on
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. can — a tin
  12. press — to push
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. press — a publisher
  15. season — of the year
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rash — hasty
  19. season — in sport
  20. can — to be able to
  21. last — final
  22. press — newspapers
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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