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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: fine · cabinet · plane · bat · press · dip · chip · saw

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. dip — to sink
  3. saw — the tool
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. saw — the tool
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. chip — for betting
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fine — high quality
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. fine — all right

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