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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. press — to push
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fine — all right
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. hand — help
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bank — for money
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fine — high quality
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rush — hurry
  18. row — a line
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. branch — a division
  21. hand — in cards
  22. press — a publisher
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. hand — part of the body

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