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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: ground · mug · press · bore · calf · kid · hand · band

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ground — crushed
  4. hand — in cards
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mug — a cup
  8. kid — to tease
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mug — a face
  12. ground — a position
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. band — a music group
  15. ground — the earth
  16. hand — help
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. kid — child
  20. bore — to tire
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mug — to rob
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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