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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fine — all right
  4. scale — in music
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — a face
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. press — a publisher
  10. root — of a plant
  11. tear — from crying
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. fine — high quality
  14. tear — from crying
  15. press — to push
  16. scale — size or range
  17. tear — to rip
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. root — the cause
  20. row — to paddle
  21. root — of a word
  22. row — a line
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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