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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · degree · calf · press · cabinet · foot · jam · squash

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. press — to push
  3. degree — an amount
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. squash — to crush
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. foot — a measure
  10. degree — from a university
  11. row — a line
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. squash — the sport
  14. row — to paddle
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. press — newspapers
  17. degree — temperature
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. calf — of the leg

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