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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. plane — a tool
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. tear — to rip
  6. last — final
  7. tear — from crying
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. snap — to click
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pitch — completely
  15. last — to go on
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. current — electric
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. press — to push

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