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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. press — a publisher
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. press — newspapers
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. press — to push
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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