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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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. hand — in cards
  3. tear — from crying
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. press — a publisher
  9. tear — to rip
  10. spell — magic
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spell — letters
  15. tear — from crying
  16. spell — a short time
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stem — to come from
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. hand — help
  23. press — to push
  24. press — newspapers

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