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

Word bank: plane · press · snap · rule · face · drill · wax · chair

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. press — a publisher
  4. drill — a practice
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chair — a leader
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rule — government
  11. snap — to click
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. wax — to grow
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. face — to confront
  17. drill — army training
  18. press — newspapers
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rule — a law
  23. drill — the tool
  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