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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: press · face · can · capital · racket · plane · race · prune

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. face — to point toward
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. can — to be able to
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. can — a tin
  7. press — newspapers
  8. can — a tin
  9. press — a publisher
  10. face — part of the head
  11. prune — to trim
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. face — to confront
  16. prune — to trim
  17. race — a contest
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — money
  20. race — the arms race
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. press — to push

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