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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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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 · press · bore · staff · perch · rock · shower · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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. board — to get on
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bore — to tire
  8. shower — rain
  9. bore — to drill
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rock — a stone
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. press — a publisher
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. press — to push
  17. staff — employees
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rock — music
  20. staff — employees
  21. board — a committee
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. press — newspapers
  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