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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. spring — the season
  8. pass — a permit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. press — to push
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. press — newspapers
  16. last — finally
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. spring — of water
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. press — a publisher
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. spring — a coil
  24. chair — a leader

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