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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: band · press · nail · mate · saw · mark · court · plane

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. band — a ring
  5. court — of a king
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. press — a publisher
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mate — to breed
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mate — a friend
  13. band — a music group
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. press — to push
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. court — for sport
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. saw — the tool
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. court — of law

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