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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. row — to paddle
  6. saw — the tool
  7. staff — a stick
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pop — music
  11. chair — a leader
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pop — to visit
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. staff — employees
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stand — to bear
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pop — soda
  24. staff — employees

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