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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: tube · coach · press · season · key · bore · hand · trunk

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bore — to drill
  4. season — in sport
  5. hand — in cards
  6. tube — a container
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bore — to tire
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hand — help
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. press — to push
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. key — for a lock
  19. tube — the underground
  20. key — the most important part
  21. season — of the year
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. press — newspapers

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