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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 124 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. ground — the earth
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. plane — a tool
  19. press — to push
  20. ground — crushed
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. press — newspapers
  24. coach — a trainer

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