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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.

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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: suit · mouse · fork · pitcher · calf · press · face · straw

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. face — part of the head
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. face — to point toward
  14. suit — clothes
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. face — to confront
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. press — to push
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fork — in a road

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