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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: mate · press · firm · fork · kid · cabinet · calf · chair

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. firm — a company
  3. fork — in a road
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mate — a friend
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mate — to breed
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. kid — to tease
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. firm — decided
  18. press — to push
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. kid — child
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. mate — a partner
  24. firm — steady

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