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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.

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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: rule · toast · bowl · coach · press · root · wax · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rule — a law
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. root — the cause
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. press — a publisher
  12. root — of a word
  13. press — to push
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rule — government
  16. craft — a skill
  17. toast — bread
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. root — of a plant
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rule — to rule out

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