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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rash — a series
  4. press — to push
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mark — a grade
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. can — a tin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. can — a tin
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lie — to recline
  21. press — newspapers
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mark — a trace
  24. lie — an untruth

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