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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rock — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. press — to push
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mine — for digging
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. tube — a container
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. ball — a dance
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mine — belonging to me

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