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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 120 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: press · craft · chest · bank · wave · calf

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chest — of your body
  6. craft — a skill
  7. press — newspapers
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chest — a box
  10. craft — boats
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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