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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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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: kid · press · coach · ground · toast · temple · bay · kick

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. press — to push
  10. ground — the earth
  11. kid — child
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. kick — in football
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ground — crushed
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. toast — bread

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