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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.

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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: straw · calf · press · row · mark · deal · cabinet · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. row — to paddle
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. press — a publisher
  7. row — a line
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mark — a trace
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. net — in sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. deal — to handle
  16. press — to push
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. net — after costs
  22. mark — a grade
  23. press — newspapers
  24. deal — an agreement

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