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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: wind · plane · stand · wound · deal · press · key · nail

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wound — an injury
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. key — for a lock
  11. plane — a tool
  12. press — a publisher
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wound — an injury
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. key — in music
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. wind — moving air

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