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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. pit — in a race
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rule — a law
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. hand — help
  14. chair — a leader
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. plane — a tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rule — government
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hand — in cards
  24. press — to push

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