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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. press — a publisher
  3. chip — to eat
  4. drill — a practice
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. plane — a tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. present — a gift
  16. cap — a hat
  17. present — there
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chip — for betting
  20. drill — the tool
  21. present — the time now
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. chip — in a computer
  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