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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: straw · bore · squash · press · can · bound · wake · coach

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. can — a tin
  7. press — newspapers
  8. can — a tin
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bore — to drill
  12. press — a publisher
  13. can — to be able to
  14. squash — to crush
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. press — to push
  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