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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. spring — a coil
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. spring — of water
  7. bulb — for light
  8. press — a publisher
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. board — a committee
  11. spring — the season
  12. board — to get on
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bulb — for light
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. branch — a division
  20. plane — a tool
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. deal — to handle
  24. board — a flat piece

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