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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rash — hasty
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. current — electric
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ball — a dance
  8. current — of water
  9. rush — hurry
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. current — happening now
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. plane — a tool
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. toast — bread
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. press — a publisher
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. press — to push
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. deal — to handle

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