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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 120 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 · rock · bore · dip · trunk · scale · press

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bore — to tire
  3. field — for sport
  4. press — to push
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. field — farmland
  7. dip — to sink
  8. scale — size or range
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. field — a subject
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. scale — in music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rock — a stone
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rock — music
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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