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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: board · kick · bat · cue · kid · calf · press · fall

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fall — the season
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. board — to get on
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. board — a committee
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fall — to drop
  17. kick — in football
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bat — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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