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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: pass · spring · press · snap · deal · kid · land · coach

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. kid — to tease
  4. spring — the season
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. land — a country
  7. deal — to handle
  8. spring — of water
  9. press — to push
  10. land — ground
  11. spring — a coil
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. press — newspapers
  14. snap — to click
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. land — to come down
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. kid — child
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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