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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. race — a contest
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. track — a path
  5. kick — in football
  6. race — humankind
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. track — a song
  11. race — the arms race
  12. fork — in a road
  13. band — a ring
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. press — newspapers
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. plane — a tool
  20. press — to push
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fork — to eat with

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