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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.

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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 · press · capital · tear · kid · mate

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. press — a publisher
  5. capital — money
  6. press — to push
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. capital — a city
  10. kid — to tease
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mate — a friend
  17. tear — from crying
  18. kid — child

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