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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: face · net · ruler · coach · hand · wave · press · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. face — to confront
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. face — to point toward
  16. press — to push
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. hand — in cards
  19. press — newspapers
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. net — for catching
  22. face — part of the head
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ruler — for measuring

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