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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · tear · coach · plane · net · swing · key · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. tear — from crying
  6. press — a publisher
  7. plane — a tool
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. key — the most important part
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. swing — in golf
  12. net — after costs
  13. swing — music
  14. net — for catching
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. key — in music
  17. tear — to rip
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. tear — from crying
  21. net — in sport
  22. key — for a lock
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stand — to bear

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