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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. plane — a tool
  11. spring — the season
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. press — to push
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. spring — of water
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stock — goods
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. press — newspapers
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mark — a trace

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