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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: snap · fall · shower · calf · last · press · pitcher · season

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. last — to go on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fall — the season
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. shower — rain
  10. fall — to drop
  11. season — in sport
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. last — finally
  14. press — to push
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. snap — to click
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. press — a publisher
  21. fall — to drop
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. last — final

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