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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: mark · coach · can · craft · bay · march · lean · press

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. can — to be able to
  3. lean — to bend
  4. can — a tin
  5. march — the month
  6. press — to push
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. press — a publisher
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lean — thin
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. craft — boats
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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