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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: plane · press · kick · spring · object · wind · hand · row

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. object — a thing
  4. press — a publisher
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. plane — a tool
  7. kick — in football
  8. wind — moving air
  9. object — to protest
  10. spring — of water
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. press — newspapers
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. press — to push
  17. spring — the season
  18. row — to paddle
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wind — moving air
  22. row — a line
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. kick — a thrill

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