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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · snap · pitcher · rash · chair · press

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. press — to push
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rash — a series
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rash — hasty
  13. snap — to click
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. chair — a professorship

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