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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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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: deal · mark · plane · fork · press · race · cell · stick

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mark — a trace
  4. race — the arms race
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cell — in biology
  7. press — a publisher
  8. plane — a tool
  9. press — to push
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. race — a contest
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. deal — to handle
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mark — a grade
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. fork — in a road
  21. race — humankind
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. fork — to eat with

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