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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. shower — to wash
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. press — a publisher
  7. lean — thin
  8. rule — a law
  9. shower — rain
  10. press — newspapers
  11. season — in sport
  12. march — the month
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. lean — to bend
  15. press — to push
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. capital — a city
  18. season — of the year
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. plane — a tool
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. rule — government
  24. capital — money

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