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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 water is too ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cold — an illness
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. staff — a stick
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. press — to push
  17. prune — to trim
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. staff — employees
  23. toast — bread
  24. prune — to trim

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