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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 · press · ball · wound · pop · toast · clip · stick

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pop — to visit
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pop — soda
  12. ball — a dance
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. ball — a great time
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. clip — a video
  18. toast — bread
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pop — music
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. press — to push
  23. wound — an injury
  24. clip — to cut

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