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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.

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: key · mine · coach · fan · net · season · hide · press

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. season — in sport
  7. key — in music
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. net — for catching
  10. key — for a lock
  11. net — in sport
  12. press — to push
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. press — newspapers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. season — of the year
  19. press — a publisher
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mine — for digging
  24. net — after costs

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