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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: charge · bowl · band · press · bound · kick · spring · coach

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. band — a music group
  3. charge — a price
  4. press — a publisher
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bound — certain
  11. press — to push
  12. bound — tied together
  13. kick — in football
  14. bound — obliged
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. charge — in control
  20. spring — a coil
  21. band — a ring
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. spring — of water
  24. bowl — to roll

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