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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: hand · face · calf · saw · cell · spell · press · firm

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. spell — magic
  4. cell — in biology
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. hand — help
  7. face — to point toward
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. face — part of the head
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. press — a publisher
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. saw — the tool
  17. press — to push
  18. spell — a short time
  19. firm — a company
  20. cell — a phone
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. face — to confront
  23. spell — letters
  24. press — newspapers

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