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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: mate · can · calf · cap · press · shower · straw · wind

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mate — a partner
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. shower — rain
  10. can — to be able to
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mate — a friend
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. press — newspapers
  17. can — a tin
  18. cap — a lid
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cap — of ice
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cap — a hat
  23. press — to push
  24. mate — to breed

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