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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. root — of a plant
  5. press — to push
  6. mug — a face
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. object — a thing
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. root — of a word
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mug — a cup
  16. object — to protest
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. root — the cause
  23. object — an aim
  24. pass — a permit

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