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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 116 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. spell — magic
  5. wind — moving air
  6. shower — rain
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. press — newspapers
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. shower — to wash
  12. prune — to trim
  13. spell — letters
  14. wind — moving air
  15. press — to push
  16. club — for golf
  17. spell — a short time
  18. press — a publisher
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. plane — a tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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