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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. lean — thin
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. snap — to click
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. press — a publisher
  8. degree — temperature
  9. press — to push
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. press — newspapers
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stand — to bear
  18. drill — the tool
  19. plane — a tool
  20. degree — from a university
  21. drill — army training
  22. degree — an amount
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. plane — an aircraft

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