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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 120 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: press · bowl · bat · rock · prune · nail · coach · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. face — to confront
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bat — the animal
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. face — part of the head
  18. press — to push
  19. prune — to trim
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bowl — to roll

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