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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. ground — a position
  3. press — to push
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ground — the earth
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. ground — crushed
  12. foot — a measure
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. press — newspapers
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish

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