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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 116 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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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: cell · plane · snap · press · stand · rock

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. cell — in biology
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cell — a phone
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rock — music
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. press — to push
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. snap — to click
  15. plane — a tool
  16. press — a publisher
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. cell — in a prison

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