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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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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 · press · race · cap · firm · chest · drill · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. drill — the tool
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cap — a hat
  5. press — to push
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. race — humankind
  10. firm — decided
  11. chest — a box
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. press — newspapers
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. drill — army training
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. drill — a practice
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cap — a lid
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cap — of ice

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