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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. firm — decided
  3. bass — the fish
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cold — not warm
  6. press — newspapers
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. press — to push
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. plane — a tool
  16. scale — in music
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bass — low music
  19. press — a publisher
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bass — the instrument

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