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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 · mug · press · calf · hide · chest

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mug — a face
  3. chest — of your body
  4. present — the time now
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. press — newspapers
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. present — there
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. press — a publisher
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. press — to push
  18. present — a gift

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