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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
468
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: object · game · temple · kid · plane · press · coach · present

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. plane — a tool
  4. present — there
  5. game — a match
  6. kid — child
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. object — a thing
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. press — a publisher
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. present — a gift
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kid — to tease
  16. press — to push
  17. object — to protest
  18. present — the time now
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. game — wild animals
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. press — newspapers
  24. temple — side of the head

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