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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: wake · fork · press · fall · calf · club · firm · rule

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. firm — decided
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wake — a trail
  5. press — newspapers
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fork — in a road
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. firm — steady
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. club — a group
  20. press — to push
  21. club — for golf
  22. firm — a company
  23. fall — the season
  24. club — for dancing

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