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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: straw · coach · pass · press · rash · nail · root · tube

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. press — a publisher
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. root — of a word
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. root — the cause
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. tube — a container
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. root — of a plant
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rash — hasty
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rash — a series
  23. pass — a permit
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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