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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 116 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: sharp · coach · press · kid · perch · bank · fan · stand

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. kid — child
  6. press — a publisher
  7. sharp — clever
  8. press — to push
  9. bank — for money
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bank — of a river
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. kid — to tease
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bank — for money
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. stand — for spectators

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