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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. hand — help
  7. press — a publisher
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bulb — for light
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. plane — a tool
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. press — to push
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bass — low music
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bass — the fish
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bulb — for light

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