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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.

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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: kick · wake · pound · charge · press · coach

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. charge — a price
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. charge — in control
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pound — a weight
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. kick — in football

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