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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.

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: row · mate · press · present · mug · plane · bat · chair

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. present — a gift
  4. mate — to breed
  5. chair — a leader
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mug — a face
  8. plane — a tool
  9. press — to push
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. press — newspapers
  12. present — the time now
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. row — a line
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mug — to rob
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. press — a publisher
  21. present — there
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mug — a cup
  24. plane — an aircraft

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