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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: press · hand · craft · bank · calf · pitcher · suit · last

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. craft — a skill
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bank — of a river
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. last — final
  9. hand — in cards
  10. press — to push
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bank — for money
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bank — for money
  17. hand — help
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — finally
  21. craft — boats
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. press — a publisher

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