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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. race — humankind
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. press — newspapers
  5. suit — to fit
  6. press — a publisher
  7. suit — clothes
  8. plane — a tool
  9. degree — from a university
  10. fall — to drop
  11. press — to push
  12. fall — to drop
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. sharp — clever
  15. race — the arms race
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — a coil
  18. degree — an amount
  19. race — a contest
  20. spring — the season
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fall — the season
  23. suit — in cards
  24. degree — temperature

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