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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: tear · degree · press · squash · coach · rock · plane · craft

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rock — a stone
  3. craft — boats
  4. squash — the sport
  5. craft — a skill
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. press — to push
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rock — music
  14. degree — an amount
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. squash — to crush
  18. press — a publisher
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. degree — temperature
  22. plane — a tool
  23. degree — from a university
  24. coach — a trainer

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