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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. band — a music group
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. band — a ring
  5. press — to push
  6. pass — a permit
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. root — the cause
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. press — newspapers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. press — a publisher

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