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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. plane — a tool
  3. present — a gift
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. shower — to wash
  7. press — a publisher
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. season — in sport
  12. present — there
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. season — of the year
  16. present — the time now
  17. net — for catching
  18. bear — the animal
  19. shower — rain
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. press — to push
  24. season — to add flavour

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