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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.

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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: press · rock · jam · track · root · plane · safe · rash

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. root — of a word
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. press — newspapers
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. press — to push
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. track — a path
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rock — music
  19. track — a song
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. plane — a tool
  22. root — the cause
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. root — of a plant

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