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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: track · safe · roll · racket · press · hand · cold · plane

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. press — a publisher
  3. hand — in cards
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cold — not warm
  8. track — a path
  9. cold — an illness
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. press — newspapers
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. press — to push
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. track — to keep track
  17. roll — a cake
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. roll — a list
  20. track — a song
  21. hand — help
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. racket — for tennis

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