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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: row · clip · cap · press · plane · spell · coach · season

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. spell — magic
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. plane — a tool
  6. clip — for paper
  7. press — a publisher
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. clip — a video
  12. season — in sport
  13. cap — a lid
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cap — of ice
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. press — to push
  19. cap — a hat
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spell — letters
  22. row — a line
  23. clip — to cut
  24. spell — a short time

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