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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: march · press · toast · net · plane · foot · wave · clip

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. march — the month
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. net — after costs
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. foot — a measure
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — bread
  10. press — newspapers
  11. plane — a tool
  12. march — the month
  13. clip — a video
  14. march — music
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. press — to push
  17. clip — for paper
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. net — in sport
  21. clip — to cut
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. toast — the most admired

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