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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
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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: cabinet · press · mine · lean · hand · coach · cap · swing

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. hand — in cards
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cap — a hat
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. swing — in golf
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. swing — to play on
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lean — thin
  20. cap — of ice
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cap — a lid
  24. swing — music

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