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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: wake · fan · calf · game · nail · kick · racket · press

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. game — a match
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. press — to push
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. press — newspapers
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. kick — in football
  19. game — wild animals
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. kick — with a leg

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