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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. press — newspapers
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. press — a publisher
  16. game — wild animals
  17. press — to push
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. game — a match
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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