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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.

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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 · roll · sharp · lie · fan · pop · press · rush

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. press — to push
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pop — to visit
  10. roll — a list
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. sharp — clever
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pop — music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. lie — to recline
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. roll — a cake
  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