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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cap — a lid
  11. net — for catching
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wound — an injury
  14. net — after costs
  15. press — to push
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. net — in sport
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. plane — a tool
  21. season — in sport
  22. pass — a permit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pass — to spend time

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