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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. press — newspapers
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. roll — a cake
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. press — a publisher
  19. content — the amount
  20. shower — rain
  21. press — to push
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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