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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chip · stick · leaves · straw · mouse · calf · hand · press

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. hand — in cards
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. press — to push
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. straw — a straw man

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