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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pop — music
  5. capital — money
  6. pop — soda
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pop — to visit
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. press — to push
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. capital — a city
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. press — newspapers
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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