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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: face · chair · press · drill · mine · fork · rush · plane

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. drill — army training
  3. mine — for digging
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. face — to confront
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fork — in a road
  10. drill — a practice
  11. plane — a tool
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. face — to point toward
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rush — hurry
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. chair — to sit 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