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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: snap · calf · press · wax · file · ruler

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. snap — to click
  3. press — a publisher
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. press — to push
  8. wax — to grow
  9. press — newspapers
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a document
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch

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