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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: press · rule · chest · firm · bear · calf · wave · rush

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rule — a law
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bear — the animal
  12. firm — decided
  13. rush — hurry
  14. firm — steady
  15. chest — a box
  16. press — to push
  17. rule — government
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bear — the animal
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. firm — a company

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