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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. suit — in cards
  5. net — after costs
  6. suit — to fit
  7. press — newspapers
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. tear — from crying
  13. press — to push
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tear — to rip
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. plane — a tool
  24. press — a publisher

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