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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. plane — a tool
  3. deal — to handle
  4. press — newspapers
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bark — to shout
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. press — to push
  11. snap — to click
  12. press — a publisher
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. squash — the sport
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. season — in sport

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