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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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Word bank
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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. drill — army training
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. press — newspapers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. press — a publisher
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fine — all right
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. press — to push
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hand — help
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. hand — part of the body

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