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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. spell — letters
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. net — in sport
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mark — a trace
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. spell — a short time
  10. foot — a measure
  11. spell — magic
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rush — hurry
  14. press — to push
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. plane — a tool
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mark — a grade
  19. net — after costs
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. net — for catching
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. foot — the bottom

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