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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 120 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.

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: row · squash · fan · press · calf · pitcher · cell · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. press — to push
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cell — in biology
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. row — a line
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. press — newspapers
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rock — music
  19. row — to paddle
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rock — a stone
  24. calf — of the 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