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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. current — electric
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. plane — a tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mate — to breed
  12. craft — a skill
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. current — happening now
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cap — a hat
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. craft — boats
  21. drill — the tool
  22. cap — of ice
  23. current — of water
  24. craft — a handicraft

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