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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.

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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. hand — in cards
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hand — help
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. track — a path
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bat — the animal
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. race — humankind
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pass — a permit
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. hide — to keep secret

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