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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 116 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bound — certain
  3. press — to push
  4. fall — to drop
  5. row — a line
  6. last — final
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. board — to get on
  9. last — finally
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bound — tied together
  15. fall — the season
  16. last — to go on
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. row — to paddle
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. board — a committee
  22. fall — to drop
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. press — a publisher

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