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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.

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: lean · perch · press · ball · charge · fall · calf · nail

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. press — a publisher
  7. charge — in control
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ball — a great time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fall — the season
  18. lean — thin
  19. charge — a price
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lean — to bend
  24. press — newspapers

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