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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. spring — of water
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. can — a tin
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rock — a stone
  10. drill — a practice
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rock — music
  14. drill — army training
  15. press — to push
  16. can — a tin
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. spring — the season
  19. drill — the tool
  20. track — to keep track
  21. can — to be able to
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. press — a publisher

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