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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. fall — to drop
  6. land — a country
  7. season — in sport
  8. wake — a trail
  9. spring — of water
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. land — ground
  13. plane — a tool
  14. land — to come down
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fall — the season
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fall — to drop
  19. press — to push
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. press — a publisher
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. season — of the year

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