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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stock — shares
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. spring — the season
  8. press — to push
  9. firm — steady
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. press — a publisher
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. firm — decided
  15. stock — goods
  16. press — newspapers
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. firm — a company
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. plane — in geometry

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