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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. present — a gift
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. press — to push
  8. wind — moving air
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wind — moving air
  17. spring — of water
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. spring — the season
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. present — there
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. present — the time now
  24. hand — in cards

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