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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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. arm — part of the body
  4. fine — all right
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. press — a publisher
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. spring — the season
  10. press — to push
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spring — a coil
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fine — high quality
  20. spring — of water
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. press — newspapers

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