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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 120 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
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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: nail · firm · squash · calf · wind · press · charge · game

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. wind — moving air
  3. press — a publisher
  4. firm — decided
  5. press — newspapers
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. game — a match
  9. press — to push
  10. charge — a price
  11. game — wild animals
  12. charge — electricity
  13. firm — steady
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wind — moving air
  19. charge — in control
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. firm — a company

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