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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
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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: coach · chair · prune · press · present · lean · chest · spell

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chair — a leader
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. prune — to trim
  6. chest — a box
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chest — of your body
  9. present — the time now
  10. spell — a short time
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. press — to push
  13. present — there
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chest — of your body
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — letters
  18. present — a gift
  19. press — newspapers
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spell — magic
  22. press — a publisher
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. lean — to bend

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