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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. tube — the underground
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. press — to push
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. tube — a container
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. tube — in a tire

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