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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. press — to push
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. saw — the tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stand — to bear
  14. press — a publisher
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cue — a signal
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wake — a trail

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