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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. press — to push
  6. track — a path
  7. fork — in a road
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — a song
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. kid — child
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kid — to tease
  24. press — newspapers

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