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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: bowl · rash · press · bear · mine · nail · coach · present

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. press — to push
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rash — hasty
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rash — a series
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. present — the time now
  24. coach — a trainer

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