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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chest — a box
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. object — a thing
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bear — the animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. press — newspapers
  20. object — to protest
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bear — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chest — of your body

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