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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: cabinet · spell · trunk · present · press · pound · swing · coach

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. present — the time now
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pound — a weight
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. spell — magic
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. present — a gift
  20. spell — a short time
  21. present — there
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. press — newspapers
  24. spell — letters

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