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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: craft · cap · coach · object · mate · press · shower · toast

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. object — to protest
  4. cap — of ice
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mate — to breed
  7. object — an aim
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. craft — boats
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cap — a lid
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mate — a friend
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. craft — a skill
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cap — a hat
  20. object — a thing
  21. press — newspapers
  22. shower — rain
  23. toast — bread
  24. mate — a partner

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