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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 120 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 · game · squash · key · stand · band · press · lie

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. game — wild animals
  6. key — for a lock
  7. press — newspapers
  8. band — a music group
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. band — a ring
  11. press — a publisher
  12. squash — the sport
  13. key — in music
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. key — the most important part
  17. press — to push
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. game — a match
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lie — to recline
  23. plane — a tool
  24. game — a kind of play

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