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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: coach · pound · season · safe · craft · press · rush · squash

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. craft — boats
  3. rush — hurry
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. season — in sport
  12. press — newspapers
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. squash — to crush
  17. season — of the year
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. squash — the sport
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. safe — out of danger

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