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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: ruler · bowl · straw · bulb · coach · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bulb — for light
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. press — to push
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. press — a publisher

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