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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 120 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: arm · press · present · calf · current · coach · squash · season

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. current — happening now
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. press — newspapers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. press — a publisher
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. current — of water
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. current — electric
  19. season — of the year
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. present — the time now
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. press — to push
  24. present — a gift

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