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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. press — a publisher
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. plane — a tool
  7. kid — to tease
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. wound — an injury
  13. press — newspapers
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rule — government
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rule — a law
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. press — to push
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stem — to come from
  23. ball — a dance
  24. kid — child

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