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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: bowl · press · fan · arm · rest · object · calf · date

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. press — newspapers
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. press — a publisher
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rest — what's left
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. press — to push
  15. object — an aim
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. object — to protest
  18. rest — a break
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. object — a thing

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