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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: straw · deal · calf · press · kick · coach · object · hand

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. object — to protest
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. hand — in cards
  6. object — a thing
  7. press — to push
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. press — newspapers
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. object — an aim
  21. hand — help
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. press — a publisher
  24. kick — in football

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