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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · dip · tear · saw · plane · cap · pitch · press

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cap — a hat
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rule — a law
  6. saw — the tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rule — government
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. press — newspapers
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. tear — from crying
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cap — of ice
  23. tear — from crying
  24. press — to push

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