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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · press · chest · coach · key · fall · object · shower

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. fall — to drop
  3. object — an aim
  4. key — the most important part
  5. press — a publisher
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. shower — rain
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chest — of your body
  10. shower — to wash
  11. press — newspapers
  12. object — to protest
  13. plane — a tool
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. object — a thing
  17. chest — of your body
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fall — the season
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. press — to push
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. fall — to drop

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