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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: chest · calf · club · wake · spring · bay · press · bowl

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. chest — a box
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. club — for golf
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. press — a publisher
  15. spring — of water
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. spring — a coil
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. club — a group
  21. wake — a trail
  22. press — to push
  23. club — for dancing
  24. chest — of your body

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