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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
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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: plane · present · sharp · cell · mine · press · stand · rest

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rest — a break
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. present — a gift
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. press — newspapers
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. press — a publisher
  14. present — the time now
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mine — for digging
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cell — in biology
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. sharp — clever
  23. press — to push
  24. 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