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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: last · chip · lean · kick · press · perch · calf · pass

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. press — a publisher
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. last — final
  5. pass — a permit
  6. press — newspapers
  7. chip — to eat
  8. last — to go on
  9. lean — thin
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. press — to push
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. last — finally
  23. lean — to bend
  24. kick — in football

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