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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: rock · press · sharp · file · season · coach · deal · rash

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rock — music
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rash — a series
  12. season — of the year
  13. rock — a stone
  14. season — in sport
  15. press — to push
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. sharp — clever
  21. file — a document
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rash — hasty
  24. press — newspapers

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