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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.

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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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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 · patient · swing · press · stem · fall · bank · foot

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fall — to drop
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. press — newspapers
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fall — the season
  10. swing — in golf
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fall — to drop
  13. foot — a measure
  14. press — to push
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. swing — music
  19. press — a publisher
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stem — to come from
  24. patient — a sick person

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