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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.

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: press · stick · can · calf · arm · bat · pitcher · wax

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. can — a tin
  8. press — to push
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bat — the animal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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