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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: board · ball · straw · fan · plane · press · stand · key

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. board — a committee
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. press — newspapers
  7. plane — a tool
  8. board — to get on
  9. ball — a great time
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. press — to push
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ball — a dance
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. key — the most important part
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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