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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: fall · fine · press · bear · chair · calf

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fall — the season
  5. fine — all right
  6. press — newspapers
  7. chair — a leader
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fall — to drop
  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