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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: fork · clip · hide · coach · march · nail · fine · press

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. press — to push
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. march — the month
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. press — newspapers
  10. clip — a video
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. clip — for paper
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fork — in a road
  22. march — music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. press — a publisher

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