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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. can — a tin
  3. press — a publisher
  4. foot — a measure
  5. chip — for betting
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. press — newspapers
  9. land — a country
  10. plane — a tool
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. last — final
  16. land — ground
  17. last — finally
  18. can — to be able to
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. land — to come down
  22. can — a tin
  23. press — to push
  24. temple — a place of worship

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