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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: press · coach · scale · object · can · mine · rock · straw

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. object — an aim
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. can — a tin
  6. object — a thing
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. can — to be able to
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. rock — music
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. press — a publisher
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rock — a stone
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. object — to protest
  23. can — a tin
  24. scale — in music

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