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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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. hide — animal skin
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. last — final
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pop — music
  13. last — to go on
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rock — a stone
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. press — newspapers
  18. last — finally
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rock — music
  23. patient — a sick person
  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