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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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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 · kick · bore · current · pound · coach · branch · ruler

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bore — to drill
  5. current — electric
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. press — to push
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. branch — a division
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pound — a weight
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. current — of water
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. current — happening now
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. kick — in football

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