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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. present — there
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. present — a gift
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. press — a publisher
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. rule — government
  18. present — the time now
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. press — to push
  21. row — to paddle
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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