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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.

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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: foot · bat · stick · press · race · bay · plane · cabinet

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. plane — a tool
  3. race — a contest
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bat — the animal
  7. press — newspapers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. press — to push
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. race — humankind

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