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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
YesNo
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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: land · calf · fan · wound · press · toast · plane · perch

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. press — to push
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. land — to come down
  6. press — newspapers
  7. land — ground
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. toast — bread
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. press — a publisher
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. plane — a tool
  22. land — a country
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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