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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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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 · spring · press · stick · key · firm · race · fall

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fall — to drop
  3. spring — the season
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fall — the season
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. key — in music
  9. press — a publisher
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. firm — a company
  12. press — newspapers
  13. race — humankind
  14. spring — a coil
  15. fall — to drop
  16. press — to push
  17. key — the most important part
  18. firm — decided
  19. key — for a lock
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. firm — steady
  22. race — a contest
  23. spring — of water
  24. race — the arms race

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