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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stock — goods
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. press — a publisher
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stock — shares
  13. tube — a container
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. plane — a tool
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ball — a dance
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. press — to push
  21. tube — the underground
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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