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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. press — newspapers
  6. craft — boats
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. drill — the tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. drill — army training
  11. press — to push
  12. plane — a tool
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. craft — a skill
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. drill — a practice
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. craft — a handicraft

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