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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
468
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: roll · spring · rash · court · fall · coach · bound · press

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bound — tied together
  3. press — a publisher
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. court — of law
  6. rash — a series
  7. spring — of water
  8. court — of a king
  9. spring — a coil
  10. court — for sport
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fall — to drop
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bound — certain
  18. spring — the season
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — a list
  22. rash — hasty
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. fall — the season

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