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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: calf · date · content · roll · snap · net · rest · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. date — the fruit
  5. press — newspapers
  6. net — in sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. net — for catching
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rest — what's left
  11. net — after costs
  12. content — the amount
  13. rest — what's left
  14. content — happy
  15. press — a publisher
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. roll — a cake
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rest — a break
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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