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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
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: mug · coach · hide · bay · ground · wind · press · march

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mug — a face
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ground — crushed
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mug — to rob
  7. march — the month
  8. mug — a cup
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ground — a position
  16. press — a publisher
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. press — to push
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. march — the month
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. march — 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