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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. toast — bread
  5. press — a publisher
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. press — to push
  9. plane — a tool
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wind — moving air
  21. row — to paddle
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. saw — the tool

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