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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 120 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: season · wave · bay · rest · press · coach · land · cabinet

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rest — a break
  3. press — a publisher
  4. season — of the year
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. press — to push
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. land — to come down
  14. season — in sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. rest — what's left
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. press — newspapers

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