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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 · key · bound · saw · foot · drill · kick · coach

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bound — obliged
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. drill — the tool
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. press — a publisher
  14. drill — a practice
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bound — tied together
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. drill — army training
  22. bound — certain
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. key — in music

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