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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. press — a publisher
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. row — to paddle
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. march — the month
  6. board — to get on
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. press — to push
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. march — the month
  11. press — newspapers
  12. row — a line
  13. can — a tin
  14. land — ground
  15. board — a committee
  16. can — to be able to
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. march — music
  21. land — a country
  22. can — a tin
  23. land — to come down
  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