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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: kick · press · trunk · coach · stick · hand · key · bowl

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. hand — in cards
  3. press — a publisher
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. kick — in football
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. press — to push

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