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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fall — to drop
  4. row — a line
  5. season — of the year
  6. drill — army training
  7. press — to push
  8. drill — a practice
  9. plane — a tool
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fall — the season
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stand — to bear
  16. press — a publisher
  17. perch — the fish
  18. row — to paddle
  19. drill — the tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. press — newspapers
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fall — to drop
  24. season — to add flavour

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