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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 · court · leaves · press · staff · lash · wake · cue

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. court — of law
  4. cue — a hint
  5. court — of a king
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. press — newspapers
  9. staff — employees
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. staff — a stick
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wake — a trail
  20. press — to push
  21. staff — employees
  22. cue — a signal
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cue — for pool

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