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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 · chest · track · press · tear · current · court · squash

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. track — a song
  4. current — electric
  5. squash — the sport
  6. chest — a box
  7. current — of water
  8. press — a publisher
  9. track — to keep track
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. court — of law
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. press — newspapers
  15. current — happening now
  16. squash — to crush
  17. court — for sport
  18. tear — from crying
  19. press — to push
  20. track — a path
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. court — of a king
  24. chest — of your body

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