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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: bat · press · coach · chip · tear · fan · firm · leaves

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bat — the animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. firm — steady
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. press — newspapers
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. press — to push
  20. firm — a company
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. firm — decided
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. chip — for betting

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