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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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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: deal · bay · plane · press · last · content · calf · bat

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. last — to go on
  5. press — newspapers
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. last — finally
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. last — final
  17. content — happy
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bat — the animal
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. content — the amount

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