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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: lie · staff · plane · coach · pound · press

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pound — a weight
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. press — to push
  12. staff — employees
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. staff — a stick
  15. press — newspapers
  16. staff — employees
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. coach — a trainer

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