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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. press — to push
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. shower — rain
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wind — moving air
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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