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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.

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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: bank · sharp · coach · pass · swing · season · nail · press

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. press — to push
  7. bank — of a river
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pass — a permit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bank — for money
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — clever
  16. season — in sport
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bank — for money
  20. season — of the year
  21. press — a publisher
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. swing — music

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