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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: pitcher · press · calf · key · spell · present · shower · firm

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. present — the time now
  3. press — a publisher
  4. shower — to wash
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. firm — a company
  7. shower — rain
  8. firm — decided
  9. present — a gift
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spell — letters
  12. present — there
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. firm — steady
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spell — a short time
  23. key — in music
  24. spell — magic

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