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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: staff · saw · temple · press · face · coach · charge · prune

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. face — to point toward
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. staff — a stick
  8. charge — a price
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. charge — electricity
  11. face — to confront
  12. prune — to trim
  13. staff — employees
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. charge — in control
  16. press — newspapers
  17. saw — the tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. staff — employees
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. prune — to trim
  24. face — part of the head

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