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

Word bank: nail · deal · calf · bulb · wound · press

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. press — to push
  5. wound — an injury
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. press — newspapers
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bulb — for light
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. press — a publisher
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bulb — of a plant

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