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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. press — a publisher
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pitch — completely
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. snap — to click
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rush — hurry

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