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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: rush · spell · fork · fine · press · fall · shower · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fall — to drop
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. spell — letters
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. press — to push
  17. fine — high quality
  18. press — newspapers
  19. spell — magic
  20. fall — the season
  21. press — a publisher
  22. rush — hurry
  23. fine — all right
  24. fork — in a road

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