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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mine — for digging
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. press — to push
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. kick — in football
  15. press — newspapers
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — in traffic

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