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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. shower — to wash
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. press — a publisher
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. shower — rain
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. kick — in football
  11. game — wild animals
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. game — a match
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. current — electric
  22. plane — a tool
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. game — a kind of play

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