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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.

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 · temple · tube · nail · press · coach · chest · kick

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chest — of your body
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. press — newspapers
  13. chest — a box
  14. object — an aim
  15. tube — a container
  16. chest — of your body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. object — a thing
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. object — to protest
  24. press — a publisher

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