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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · land · mouse · ground · calf · wind · press · wave

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. ground — crushed
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. land — to come down
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. ground — a position
  12. can — a tin
  13. land — a country
  14. press — to push
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ground — the earth
  17. can — a tin
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. land — ground
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. can — to be able to

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