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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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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: calf · snap · fine · press · spring · pound · cell · suit

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pound — a weight
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. press — a publisher
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cell — in biology
  7. press — to push
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. press — newspapers
  11. cell — a phone
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. snap — to click
  15. fine — all right
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. fine — high quality
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. spring — of water

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