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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 120 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: key · land · track · mug · press · plane · rule · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. track — to keep track
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. rule — government
  8. land — to come down
  9. mug — to rob
  10. land — ground
  11. key — in music
  12. mug — a face
  13. rule — a law
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. key — the most important part
  17. land — a country
  18. track — a song
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. track — a path
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mug — a cup
  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