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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. ground — crushed
  5. dip — to sink
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. clip — a video
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. plane — a tool
  12. clip — for paper
  13. ground — a position
  14. press — newspapers
  15. deal — to handle
  16. game — wild animals
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. clip — to cut
  23. ground — the earth
  24. fan — a supporter

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