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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cap — a hat
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. present — there
  5. wound — an injury
  6. press — newspapers
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. press — a publisher
  10. plane — a tool
  11. press — to push
  12. present — a gift
  13. capital — money
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. present — the time now
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bound — obliged
  19. capital — a city
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cap — a lid
  22. squash — to crush
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bound — certain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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