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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: row · coach · pass · press · wave · rash · game · prune

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rash — a series
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. row — a line
  15. press — newspapers
  16. prune — to trim
  17. press — to push
  18. rash — hasty
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pass — a permit
  24. game — a match

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