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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.

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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: press · hand · track · plane · face · wake · jam · last

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. plane — a tool
  5. last — to go on
  6. track — to keep track
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. wake — a trail
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. last — finally
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. track — a path
  16. hand — in cards
  17. face — to point toward
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. press — a publisher
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. track — a song
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. last — final

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