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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: row · coach · bat · firm · ball · last · rest · press

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. press — newspapers
  3. last — final
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rest — what's left
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. ball — a dance
  8. press — to push
  9. rest — a break
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. press — a publisher
  12. firm — a company
  13. last — to go on
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. last — finally
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. row — to paddle
  20. firm — decided
  21. bat — the animal
  22. row — a line
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. firm — steady

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