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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. key — for a lock
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wound — an injury
  10. press — to push
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. key — in music
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. press — a publisher
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. patient — a sick person

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