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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. spring — of water
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. spring — a coil
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. press — to push
  12. craft — boats
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. foot — a measure
  17. cue — for pool
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rush — hurry
  22. press — newspapers
  23. spring — the season
  24. mark — a grade

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