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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: spring · bound · kid · object · press · mouse · coach · wave

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. press — to push
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spring — of water
  7. kid — child
  8. object — to protest
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bound — certain
  12. spring — a coil
  13. object — a thing
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. press — a publisher
  16. spring — the season
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. object — an aim
  23. bound — tied together
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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