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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lie — to recline
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rest — a break
  16. season — in sport
  17. bore — to tire
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. press — newspapers
  20. plane — a tool
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. press — to push
  23. season — of the year
  24. press — a publisher

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