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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. spring — of water
  7. rash — a series
  8. press — to push
  9. rule — government
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. press — newspapers
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. spring — the season
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. press — a publisher
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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