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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ball — a dance
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. press — newspapers
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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