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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bear — the animal
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. last — to go on
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. press — a publisher
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. board — to get on
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. last — finally
  19. press — to push
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. board — a committee

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