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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: foot · plane · race · wake · press · kick

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. press — a publisher
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. foot — a measure
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. press — newspapers
  15. race — humankind
  16. kick — in football
  17. press — to push
  18. foot — part of the body

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