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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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · bat · coach · wave · press · cell

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. press — newspapers
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bat — the animal
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cell — in biology
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. press — to push
  14. cell — a phone
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wave — with your hand

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