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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. press — a publisher
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bat — the animal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. chip — for betting
  10. suit — clothes
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bass — the fish
  13. shower — rain
  14. suit — to fit
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bass — low music
  17. press — to push
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mug — a cup
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. press — newspapers
  24. suit — in cards

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