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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stock — shares
  4. spring — of water
  5. press — newspapers
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. spring — the season
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spring — a coil
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. press — to push
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. stock — goods
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bank — for money
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bank — of a river

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