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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: row · rest · net · press · spell · object · wound · coach

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rest — what's left
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. row — to paddle
  7. press — newspapers
  8. spell — a short time
  9. press — to push
  10. net — for catching
  11. row — a line
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. spell — magic
  15. object — an aim
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — letters
  18. object — a thing
  19. net — after costs
  20. object — to protest
  21. rest — a break
  22. net — in sport
  23. wound — an injury
  24. press — a publisher

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