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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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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: jam · roll · press · row · coach · rock · wave · suit

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rock — music
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. suit — in cards
  7. row — to paddle
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. suit — clothes
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rock — a stone
  17. press — to push
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. suit — to fit
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. row — a line
  23. press — a publisher
  24. roll — a cake

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