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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
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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: lean · current · court · calf · mouse · rule · tear · press

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. tear — from crying
  3. press — newspapers
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. court — of a king
  6. current — electric
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. lean — to bend
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rule — government
  17. current — happening now
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. court — for sport
  20. press — to push
  21. court — of law
  22. current — of water
  23. tear — to rip
  24. mouse — the animal

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