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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. bank — for money
  8. press — to push
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a list
  11. bank — of a river
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. plane — a tool
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. press — a publisher
  19. roll — a cake
  20. net — for catching
  21. bank — for money
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — bread
  24. net — after costs

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