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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: rock · date · calf · press · cold · rest · stick · kick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. rest — what's left
  5. press — to push
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rest — what's left
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. press — a publisher
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rest — a break
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. date — the fruit
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cold — not warm
  19. rock — music
  20. cold — an illness
  21. press — newspapers
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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