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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: season · plane · prune · rest · drill · board · safe · press

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. press — a publisher
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rest — a break
  10. season — in sport
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. drill — a practice
  14. season — of the year
  15. drill — the tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rest — what's left
  18. drill — army training
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. board — a committee
  23. rest — what's left
  24. board — to get on

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