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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: stand · stick · coach · chair · ruler · hide · press · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. press — a publisher
  16. chair — a leader
  17. press — to push
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. press — newspapers
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rock — music
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. hide — to keep secret

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