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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. field — a subject
  6. object — an aim
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. season — in sport
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. object — a thing
  13. pass — a permit
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. staff — a stick
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. season — of the year
  21. field — for sport
  22. press — a publisher
  23. object — to protest
  24. field — farmland

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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