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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: plane · cue · net · board · press · spell · deal · clip

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. net — after costs
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. net — for catching
  7. plane — a tool
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. net — in sport
  11. cue — a signal
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. clip — for paper
  15. spell — a short time
  16. press — to push
  17. deal — to handle
  18. spell — letters
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. spell — magic

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