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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
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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: key · press · calf · hide · stem · firm · march · capital

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. march — the month
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. march — the month
  5. press — to push
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. press — newspapers
  8. firm — steady
  9. stem — to come from
  10. capital — money
  11. march — music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. firm — a company
  17. key — for a lock
  18. firm — decided
  19. press — a publisher
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. key — in music

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