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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: mug · key · coach · press · mine · scale · rush · wind

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wind — moving air
  4. press — newspapers
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mug — a cup
  8. scale — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wind — moving air
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. press — to push
  14. mine — for digging
  15. key — in music
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. press — a publisher
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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