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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.

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: plane · mark · leaves · season · can · roll · calf · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. roll — a cake
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. season — of the year
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. can — a tin
  13. season — in sport
  14. mark — a trace
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. press — a publisher
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. plane — a tool
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mark — a grade
  22. can — a tin
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. roll — a list

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