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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mug — a face
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rule — a law
  6. spring — the season
  7. mug — to rob
  8. press — to push
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. spring — of water
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rule — government
  19. mug — a cup
  20. press — newspapers
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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