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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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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: fan · foot · rash · press · calf · mate · snap · cold

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. press — to push
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rash — hasty
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cold — an illness
  19. snap — to click
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mate — a partner
  23. foot — a measure
  24. press — newspapers

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