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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 116 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: staff · pound · kick · lie · press · coach · cue · game

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pound — a weight
  8. game — wild animals
  9. press — to push
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cue — a signal
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. game — a match
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cue — for pool
  16. staff — employees
  17. press — a publisher
  18. staff — employees
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. staff — a stick
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cue — a hint
  23. kick — in football
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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