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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. race — humankind
  3. last — to go on
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. press — newspapers
  7. capital — a city
  8. race — the arms race
  9. foot — a measure
  10. plane — a tool
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. capital — money
  14. clip — a video
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. clip — for paper
  18. press — to push
  19. race — a contest
  20. last — final
  21. press — a publisher
  22. last — finally
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. clip — to cut

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