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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: squash · race · hand · cap · press · calf · firm · bear

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. firm — steady
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bear — the animal
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. cap — a hat
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. squash — to crush
  13. hand — help
  14. squash — the sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cap — a lid
  17. hand — in cards
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. press — a publisher
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cap — of ice

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