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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: mine · straw · sharp · lash · plane · stem · fine · press

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. press — a publisher
  3. stem — to come from
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. press — to push
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mine — for digging
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. press — newspapers
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. plane — a tool
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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