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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
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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: sharp · press · bear · land · spring · drill · coach · dip

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. land — a country
  4. press — newspapers
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. press — a publisher
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. dip — to sink
  12. land — ground
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spring — of water
  15. land — to come down
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. sharp — clever
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. press — to push
  21. bear — the animal
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. drill — army training

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