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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.

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: firm · can · clip · cell · hand · calf · press · lash

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. can — to be able to
  3. firm — decided
  4. hand — help
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. firm — a company
  8. press — to push
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cell — in biology
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. firm — steady
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. can — a tin
  15. cell — a phone
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — to cut
  18. press — a publisher
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. press — newspapers
  22. clip — a video
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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