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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. band — a ring
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. deal — to handle
  18. plane — a tool
  19. press — to push
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. dip — to sink
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fall — the season
  24. band — a music group

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