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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. can — a tin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. can — a tin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. can — to be able to
  8. plane — a tool
  9. march — the month
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. press — to push
  13. last — finally
  14. ball — a dance
  15. march — the month
  16. last — final
  17. tear — from crying
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. tear — to rip
  21. last — to go on
  22. march — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ball — a great time

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