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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. game — wild animals
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. key — the most important part
  6. press — to push
  7. march — the month
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. march — the month
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. plane — a tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. march — music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. press — a publisher
  19. game — a match
  20. press — newspapers
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. dip — to sink
  24. key — in music

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