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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: coach · hide · current · suit · bark · cell · drill · press

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. suit — in cards
  3. current — happening now
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bark — to shout
  6. suit — clothes
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cell — a phone
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. suit — to fit
  12. press — to push
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. current — electric
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. drill — a practice
  17. current — of water
  18. cell — in biology
  19. drill — the tool
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. press — a publisher
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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