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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: spring · dip · game · plane · net · press · firm · rest

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. rest — a break
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. firm — steady
  9. spring — the season
  10. press — to push
  11. net — after costs
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rest — what's left
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. press — newspapers
  17. net — in sport
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. net — for catching
  23. press — a publisher
  24. game — a match

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