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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 116 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. track — a path
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. row — a line
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. shower — rain
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. snap — to click
  16. prune — to trim
  17. track — a song
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. track — to keep track
  20. plane — a tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. row — to paddle

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