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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: press · shower · kid · deal · calf · drill

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. kid — to tease
  5. press — to push
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. shower — to wash
  8. press — a publisher
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. drill — the tool
  17. kid — child
  18. shower — rain

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