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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · wind · perch · coach · nail · press · court · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. perch — the fish
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. press — a publisher
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. court — of a king
  11. press — newspapers
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. can — a tin
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. press — to push
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wind — moving air
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wind — moving air
  21. court — for sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — of law
  24. calf — a young animal

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