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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. firm — decided
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bore — to tire
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. firm — a company
  11. press — newspapers
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. firm — steady
  16. scale — in music
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. plane — a tool
  24. scale — for weighing

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