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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: ground · pass · kick · hand · calf · band · press · march

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. kick — in football
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. march — the month
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. march — music
  9. ground — the earth
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pass — a permit
  12. ground — crushed
  13. hand — in cards
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ground — a position
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. march — the month
  24. press — a publisher

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