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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. press — a publisher
  4. field — a subject
  5. rash — a series
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bark — to shout
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. press — to push
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. field — farmland
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rash — hasty
  18. field — for sport
  19. deal — to handle
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. board — to get on
  22. sharp — clever
  23. press — newspapers
  24. plane — a 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