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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: stock · coach · press · leaves · clip · staff · mug · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. staff — employees
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stock — shares
  5. mug — a face
  6. clip — for paper
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mug — to rob
  9. press — to push
  10. staff — a stick
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. press — a publisher
  13. clip — a video
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. staff — employees
  16. press — newspapers
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. stock — goods
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. clip — to cut
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. rock — to move gently

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