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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: dip · deal · wound · press · last · plane · lie · rest

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rest — a break
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. last — final
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. press — to push
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lie — to recline
  11. last — to go on
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. rest — what's left
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. deal — to handle
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wound — an injury
  22. plane — a tool
  23. press — newspapers
  24. last — finally

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