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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 124 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: coach · leaves · fan · mark · press · cap · net · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cap — a lid
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. press — newspapers
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. net — after costs
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. net — for catching
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mark — a grade
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. net — in sport
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mark — a trace
  19. press — to push
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wind — moving air
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cap — of ice

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