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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: cell · mark · tube · lie · game · spring · plane · press

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. game — a match
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mark — a trace
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. plane — a tool
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. game — wild animals
  23. spring — the season
  24. tube — in a tire

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