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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 124 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. capital — a city
  4. hand — help
  5. pop — soda
  6. cell — a phone
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. press — newspapers
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mark — a grade
  17. cell — in biology
  18. press — to push
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. capital — money
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. mark — a trace
  24. hand — in cards

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