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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bat — the animal
  3. current — of water
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. press — a publisher
  10. shower — rain
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. current — electric
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. press — newspapers
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. current — happening now
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bear — the animal
  21. press — to push
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. wind — moving air
  24. plane — a tool

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