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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ground — crushed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. squash — the sport
  6. press — to push
  7. ground — the earth
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cap — of ice
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ground — a position
  12. squash — to crush
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. press — a publisher
  16. plane — a tool
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cap — a hat
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. saw — the tool

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