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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. bound — obliged
  3. kid — child
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rest — what's left
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bound — tied together
  11. press — to push
  12. rest — what's left
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bound — certain
  15. plane — a tool
  16. scale — size or range
  17. kid — to tease
  18. rest — a break
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. deal — to handle
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. press — newspapers
  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