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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: press · arm · leaves · march · rest · calf · pass · can

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. march — music
  4. can — a tin
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. march — the month
  8. press — a publisher
  9. can — a tin
  10. press — newspapers
  11. march — the month
  12. rest — a break
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. can — to be able to
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rest — what's left
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rest — what's left
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. press — to push

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