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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: fall · key · plane · mark · rush · mine · press · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mark — a grade
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mark — a trace
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fall — to drop
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fall — the season
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. press — to push
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. key — in music
  23. track — a song
  24. plane — in geometry

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