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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. face — to point toward
  5. staff — employees
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cell — a phone
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cell — in biology
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. staff — employees
  21. face — to confront
  22. plane — a tool
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fork — in a road

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