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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · present · press · cabinet · cue · land · plane · rest

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. plane — a tool
  3. spell — letters
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. land — to come down
  8. press — to push
  9. cue — for pool
  10. spell — a short time
  11. rest — what's left
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. land — ground
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. press — newspapers
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. spell — magic
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. land — a country
  24. present — there

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