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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: staff · chest · swing · plane · press · stand · bound · wax

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bound — tied together
  4. staff — a stick
  5. press — to push
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. staff — employees
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. swing — music
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. staff — employees
  13. swing — to play on
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bound — certain
  18. stand — to bear
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bound — obliged
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chest — of your body
  24. swing — in golf

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