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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. hand — help
  8. press — newspapers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. row — a line
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rush — hurry
  18. press — to push
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fine — all right
  23. hand — in cards
  24. fine — high quality

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