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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. last — final
  9. press — a publisher
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. last — to go on
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. swing — music
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rock — music
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rock — a stone
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. last — finally
  24. coach — a trainer

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