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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cell — a phone
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cell — in biology
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. plane — a tool
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. press — to push
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cell — in a prison

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