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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — to confront
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pitch — completely
  11. object — to protest
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. face — to point toward
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. object — a thing
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cap — a hat
  22. press — to push
  23. face — part of the head
  24. object — an aim

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