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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. chest — a box
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. scale — size or range
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chest — of your body
  9. craft — boats
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. chest — of your body
  14. ground — the earth
  15. craft — a skill
  16. ground — crushed
  17. key — the most important part
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. key — in music
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. key — for a lock
  23. scale — in music
  24. ground — a position

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