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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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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: dip · deal · pit · bat · stand · press · plane · chest

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. chest — of your body
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pit — a hole
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pit — in a race
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bat — the animal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. chest — a box

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