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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. band — a music group
  6. suit — to fit
  7. spell — magic
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cell — a phone
  12. plane — a tool
  13. spell — letters
  14. suit — clothes
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. band — a ring
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. press — to push
  22. suit — in cards
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cell — in biology

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