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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
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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: lash · land · bass · lie · plane · season · press · stand

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. press — to push
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. season — in sport
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. season — of the year
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. land — a country
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. land — ground
  14. plane — a tool
  15. land — to come down
  16. press — a publisher
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. press — newspapers
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bass — the instrument

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