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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: stem · snap · coach · hand · toast · drill · rule · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. drill — a practice
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rule — a law
  9. press — to push
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hand — in cards
  13. toast — bread
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. drill — army training
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. snap — to click
  20. rule — government
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stem — to come from
  23. press — newspapers
  24. hand — help

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