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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 116 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: calf · saw · press · pit · land · wave · spell · stand

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. spell — letters
  3. land — ground
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. land — to come down
  14. pit — in a race
  15. spell — magic
  16. press — to push
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spell — a short time
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pit — a hole

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