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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: fall · wave · press · lean · stick · chip · mouse · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. press — newspapers
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lean — thin
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fall — to drop
  17. press — a publisher
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chip — for betting
  21. press — to push
  22. fall — the season
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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