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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 116 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: ground · track · drill · press · plane · bulb · prune · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. drill — the tool
  8. ground — a position
  9. track — a song
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. drill — army training
  14. prune — to trim
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. press — newspapers
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bulb — for light
  21. drill — a practice
  22. track — to keep track
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. track — a path

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