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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. band — a music group
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. band — a ring
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. press — a publisher
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. press — to push
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. club — a group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. club — for golf
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. press — newspapers
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. sharp — clever
  24. club — for dancing

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