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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. row — to paddle
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. press — a publisher
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. press — newspapers
  9. game — a match
  10. roll — a cake
  11. rest — what's left
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. game — wild animals
  14. press — to push
  15. row — a line
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. rest — a break
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rest — what's left

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