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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. press — to push
  3. tube — a container
  4. race — humankind
  5. snap — to click
  6. press — newspapers
  7. race — a contest
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. tube — the underground
  10. face — to point toward
  11. firm — steady
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. plane — a tool
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. face — to confront
  16. firm — decided
  17. press — a publisher
  18. race — the arms race
  19. face — part of the head
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. firm — a company
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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