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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cold — an illness
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. staff — employees
  12. craft — a skill
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. craft — boats
  18. press — to push
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. press — a publisher
  21. staff — employees
  22. cold — not warm
  23. staff — a stick
  24. plane — a tool

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