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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pop — to visit
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mate — a partner
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pop — soda
  9. mate — to breed
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pop — music
  14. row — a line
  15. press — a publisher
  16. plane — a tool
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mug — a face
  19. bound — tied together
  20. stand — to bear
  21. press — to push
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bound — certain

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