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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. press — newspapers
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. press — a publisher
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. press — to push
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. plane — a tool
  16. present — the time now
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. lie — to recline
  20. land — a country
  21. foot — a measure
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. plane — in geometry

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