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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · wave · land · plane · cold · key · calf · press

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. press — a publisher
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. press — newspapers
  5. key — in music
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. land — to come down
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. hand — in cards
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. land — a country
  15. cold — not warm
  16. land — ground
  17. press — to push
  18. key — the most important part
  19. hand — help
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cold — an illness
  24. key — for a lock

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