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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. press — newspapers
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wind — moving air
  9. net — in sport
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. press — to push
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. net — after costs
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pop — music
  18. mate — a partner
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bass — low music
  21. net — for catching
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wind — moving air
  24. kick — in football

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