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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · season · spell · bay · wound · last · calf · press

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. press — a publisher
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. season — in sport
  6. wound — an injury
  7. last — finally
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. spell — a short time
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. last — final
  15. press — to push
  16. season — of the year
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. spell — letters
  22. last — to go on
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. season — to add flavour

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