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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 120 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: scale · bat · calf · rule · press · wound · stand · fan

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rule — a law
  6. scale — in music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. stand — to bear
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rule — government
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bat — the animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. press — to push
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. stand — on your feet

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