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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: calf · press · cold · wind · deal · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. press — newspapers
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. press — to push
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cold — an illness
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cold — not warm
  18. press — a publisher

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