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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. ground — a position
  4. bark — to shout
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. face — to confront
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. present — there
  10. press — newspapers
  11. game — a match
  12. ground — crushed
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. present — the time now
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. face — part of the head
  20. present — a gift
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ground — the earth
  24. press — to push

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