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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: press · coach · sharp · fine · clip · content · bore · mate

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. content — happy
  6. clip — for paper
  7. mate — a friend
  8. press — to push
  9. clip — a video
  10. fine — high quality
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. press — a publisher
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fine — all right
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bore — to tire
  19. content — the amount
  20. bore — to drill
  21. clip — to cut
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mate — to breed
  24. coach — a trainer

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