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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: roll · pop · bear · spring · coach · land · press · dip

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. land — a country
  3. press — to push
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bear — the animal
  6. land — ground
  7. spring — a coil
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pop — to visit
  10. roll — a list
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spring — the season
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. land — to come down
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pop — music
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pop — soda
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. spring — of water

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