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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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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 · rest · bound · bat · press · plane · wound · rule

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rule — government
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rest — a break
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rule — a law
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. press — to push
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rest — what's left
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bound — certain
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. wound — an injury

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