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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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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: band · lean · press · stand · lie · plane · squash · sharp

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. squash — to crush
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. press — to push
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stand — to bear
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. lean — thin
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. press — a publisher
  20. plane — a tool
  21. lean — to bend
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lie — to recline
  24. sharp — exactly

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