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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mark — a trace
  5. net — in sport
  6. mark — a grade
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. press — newspapers
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. press — to push
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. rash — a series
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mug — to rob
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fork — a garden tool

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