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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mug — a cup
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mug — a face
  11. press — to push
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mug — to rob
  16. sharp — clever
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. hand — help
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. band — a ring
  23. wind — moving air
  24. plane — a tool

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