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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
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: coach · lean · snap · foot · rush · wind · mine · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rush — hurry
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wind — moving air
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wind — moving air
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. press — a publisher
  22. foot — a measure
  23. snap — to click
  24. rush — a thrill

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