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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. last — to go on
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. present — a gift
  5. squash — to crush
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. hand — help
  8. last — finally
  9. squash — the sport
  10. hand — in cards
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. press — a publisher
  17. last — final
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. sharp — clever
  20. press — to push
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. press — newspapers
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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