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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 124 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. ball — a dance
  5. present — the time now
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. spring — the season
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. press — to push
  11. plane — a tool
  12. ball — a great time
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. spring — of water
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. present — a gift
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. present — there
  21. press — a publisher
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fork — in a road

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