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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lean · calf · march · press · chair · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. 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. racket — for tennis
  2. march — the month
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. march — the month
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. chair — a leader
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lean — thin
  9. press — a publisher
  10. march — music
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. press — to push
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. lean — to bend
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. 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