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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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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: cabinet · mine · field · press · kick · stick · calf · ruler

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mine — for digging
  4. press — a publisher
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. field — for sport
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. press — newspapers
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kick — in football
  23. press — to push
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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