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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: fall · foot · press · arm · coach · pass · march · season

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. march — music
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fall — the season
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pass — a permit
  10. foot — a measure
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. season — in sport
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fall — to drop
  17. march — the month
  18. fall — to drop
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. season — of the year
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. march — the month

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