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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 120 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: coach · suit · bore · clip · perch · press · sharp · bulb

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. suit — in cards
  6. clip — a video
  7. press — a publisher
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bore — to drill
  14. press — newspapers
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. clip — for paper
  17. perch — the fish
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. press — to push
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. suit — clothes
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bore — to tire
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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