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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · press · coach · bear · ruler · swing

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. swing — to play on
  18. press — newspapers

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