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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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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: wake · kid · lean · racket · rest · plane · press · present

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rest — what's left
  4. press — newspapers
  5. plane — a tool
  6. press — to push
  7. present — the time now
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wake — a trail
  12. lean — thin
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. lean — to bend
  16. kid — child
  17. rest — a break
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rest — what's left

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