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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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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: mouse · saw · press · calf · last · lean · racket · sharp

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. press — newspapers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. press — to push
  4. lean — thin
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. last — to go on
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. last — final
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. press — a publisher
  18. sharp — clever
  19. last — finally
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lean — to rest against
  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