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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rock — music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. spring — the season
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. plane — a tool
  10. season — of the year
  11. ground — the earth
  12. vault — a safe
  13. season — in sport
  14. rock — a stone
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. spring — a coil
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ground — a position
  24. spring — of water

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