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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 120 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: bound · press · stand · fan · sharp · rush · coach · hide

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. press — to push
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. sharp — clever
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stand — to bear
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bound — tied together
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bound — certain
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fan — a supporter

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