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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 124 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rule — a law
  8. ball — a dance
  9. spell — letters
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. ball — a great time
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pop — music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spell — magic
  18. press — to push
  19. pop — soda
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rule — government
  22. pop — to visit
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. spell — a short time

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