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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: present · toast · coach · press · tube · pound · lean · calf

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. present — a gift
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. press — newspapers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. pound — a weight
  13. present — there
  14. press — a publisher
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. present — the time now
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. press — to push
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. calf — of the leg

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