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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: calf · snap · rest · press · squash · mark · bass · game

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mark — a grade
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rest — a break
  8. game — wild animals
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. press — to push
  11. bass — the fish
  12. snap — to click
  13. press — newspapers
  14. mark — a trace
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. press — a publisher
  17. game — a match
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bass — low music
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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