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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. press — to push
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wound — an injury
  5. press — a publisher
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. hand — in cards
  14. ground — a position
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. ground — crushed
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. hand — help
  20. press — newspapers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. ground — the earth
  24. perch — for a bird

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