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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: calf · shower · sharp · object · can · chair · press · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. press — newspapers
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. object — to protest
  11. shower — rain
  12. can — to be able to
  13. press — to push
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — an aim
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. sharp — clever
  19. press — a publisher
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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