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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: plane · field · press · cap · mine · craft · suit · trunk

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. field — a subject
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mine — for digging
  4. press — to push
  5. cap — of ice
  6. field — for sport
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cap — a hat
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. plane — a tool
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. field — farmland
  17. suit — clothes
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. craft — boats
  20. suit — to fit
  21. craft — a skill
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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