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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 120 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: press · bound · mine · sharp · board · coach · bay · rest

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mine — for digging
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. press — newspapers
  6. board — to get on
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. sharp — clever
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bound — certain
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mine — belonging to me

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