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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: press · pit · cabinet · track · craft · plane · squash · cold

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. pit — in a race
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pit — a hole
  11. track — a song
  12. squash — the sport
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. craft — a skill
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. press — to push
  18. craft — boats
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. plane — a tool
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. cold — not warm

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