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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. suit — clothes
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. press — a publisher
  6. spell — letters
  7. ground — crushed
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. suit — to fit
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cue — a hint
  15. press — to push
  16. ground — the earth
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. ground — a position
  23. cue — for pool
  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