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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 116 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: cold · bore · pitch · mark · press · plane · safe · lie

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. press — newspapers
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lie — to recline
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pitch — completely
  12. cold — not warm
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. press — a publisher
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mark — a grade
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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