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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wax — to grow
  3. fall — the season
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. face — to confront
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. press — newspapers
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fall — to drop
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stem — to come from
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wound — an injury
  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