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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
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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: press · fan · coach · charge · saw · lash · pop · field

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pop — music
  3. press — newspapers
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pop — to visit
  6. charge — a price
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. charge — electricity
  9. press — to push
  10. charge — in control
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. saw — the tool
  15. press — a publisher
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. field — a subject
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pop — soda
  20. field — for sport
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. field — farmland
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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