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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.

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: wound · press · chair · mug · bass · bowl · tear · coach

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. tear — to rip
  8. press — a publisher
  9. tear — from crying
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. mug — a face
  14. wound — an injury
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bass — low music
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mug — a cup
  23. chair — a leader
  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