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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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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: press · ground · calf · hide · cell · stand · lean · lash

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cell — a phone
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. press — a publisher
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. press — newspapers
  14. lean — thin
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ground — a position
  21. cell — in biology
  22. press — to push
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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