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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: board · bore · plane · press · calf · cold · net · dip

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. press — newspapers
  3. plane — a tool
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. press — a publisher
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bore — to drill
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. net — in sport
  10. press — to push
  11. cold — not warm
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. board — to get on
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. net — after costs
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. net — for catching
  23. cold — an illness
  24. calf — a young animal

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