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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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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: field · fan · press · fall · mug · plane · land · ruler

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. land — ground
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. field — farmland
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mug — to rob
  10. land — to come down
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mug — a face
  13. field — a subject
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. press — to push
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mug — a cup
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. field — for sport
  23. land — a country
  24. press — a publisher

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