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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tear · degree · press · squash · coach · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. press — to push
  3. rock — music
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. degree — an amount
  8. rock — a stone
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. press — newspapers
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. degree — temperature
  13. squash — to crush
  14. press — a publisher
  15. degree — from a university
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. squash — the sport

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