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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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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: band · deal · bay · straw · capital · press · firm · plane

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. band — a ring
  4. press — to push
  5. firm — a company
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. band — a music group
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. firm — decided
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. capital — a city
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. deal — to handle
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. capital — money
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. firm — steady

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