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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: leaves · coach · press · bank · chair · kid · plane · cap

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. plane — a tool
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bank — for money
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bank — for money
  10. chair — a leader
  11. cap — a hat
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. kid — child
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. kid — to tease
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. press — to push
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chair — to sit on

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