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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. spell — a short time
  3. tear — from crying
  4. plane — a tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. date — the fruit
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. spell — magic
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. press — a publisher
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. spring — of water
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. tear — to rip
  19. spring — a coil
  20. press — to push
  21. content — happy
  22. spell — letters
  23. spring — the season
  24. date — on the calendar

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