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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: rest · press · season · coach · calf · rule · chip · hide

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. press — a publisher
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rule — government
  7. season — of the year
  8. press — to push
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. season — in sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rest — a break
  19. press — newspapers
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rule — a law

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