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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: hide · calf · coach · ball · arm · pit · fall · press

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pit — in a race
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pit — a hole
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. press — a publisher
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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