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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 120 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. press — a publisher
  6. chest — of your body
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fine — high quality
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. pitch — completely
  14. tear — from crying
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fine — all right
  20. file — a tool
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. file — a document

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