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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 120 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: snap · calf · club · pound · tear · content · shower · press

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. press — to push
  4. club — a group
  5. content — the amount
  6. club — for golf
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. press — a publisher
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. shower — to wash
  13. tear — from crying
  14. snap — to click
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. club — for dancing
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. press — newspapers
  20. shower — rain
  21. content — happy
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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