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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. date — the fruit
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cap — a hat
  6. scale — in music
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rush — hurry
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. press — to push
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. press — newspapers
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cap — a lid

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