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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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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 · pass · branch · rule · press · craft · snap · drill

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. drill — the tool
  6. branch — a division
  7. craft — boats
  8. rule — a law
  9. craft — a skill
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. press — to push
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. drill — a practice
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rule — government
  23. snap — to click
  24. drill — army training

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