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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: face · press · calf · branch · kick · squash · pop · court

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. branch — a division
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. court — of a king
  7. press — newspapers
  8. squash — to crush
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. face — part of the head
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pop — to visit
  15. squash — the sport
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. pop — music
  19. kick — in football
  20. face — to confront
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pop — soda
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. calf — a young animal

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