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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: calf · swing · tear · press · bear · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. swing — music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. swing — to play on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. land — a country
  8. press — a publisher
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bear — the animal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. press — to push
  15. land — to come down
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with

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