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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. field — farmland
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rest — a break
  6. drill — army training
  7. face — to point toward
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. press — newspapers
  11. drill — a practice
  12. press — to push
  13. field — a subject
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chip — to eat
  19. press — a publisher
  20. face — to confront
  21. rest — what's left
  22. face — part of the head
  23. drill — the tool
  24. field — for sport

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