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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: press · foot · nail · present · bark · coach · tube · charge

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. press — a publisher
  3. present — there
  4. press — to push
  5. tube — a container
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. press — newspapers
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. tube — the underground
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. foot — a measure
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. present — a gift
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. charge — in control
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. present — the time now

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