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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. tear — to rip
  6. stock — goods
  7. row — to paddle
  8. tear — from crying
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. club — for golf
  12. row — a line
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. press — to push
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. club — a group
  17. chip — for betting
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stock — shares
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. plane — a tool
  24. club — for dancing

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