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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cap — a lid
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. press — a publisher
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cap — a hat
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lean — thin
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bore — to tire
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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