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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. race — a contest
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. press — newspapers
  7. saw — the tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. race — humankind
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. suit — to fit
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. plane — a tool
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. saw — the tool
  24. race — the arms race

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