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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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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. press — a publisher
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pass — a permit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. press — newspapers
  16. spring — the season
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. press — to push
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. spring — of water

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